Stealing The Heart
by littleshyangel
Summary: Arthur has spent nights seeking out the most wanted thief in Camelot, but when injured in the crossfire of their capture, he has but little choice to accept help from the very person he sought after. So what happens if the thief steals his heart instead?
1. The Thief And The Prince

**This story was inspired by two things. One was a story written by Totally-Out-Of-It, I imagine her story based around Beauty and the Beast and that quickly lead me to the idea of Aladdin. So thank you greatly for that =) The Aladdin film being the second inspiration for this story.**

**Merlin will be based around the role of Aladdin and Arthur will be a Prince, just like Jasmine was the Princess. This contains Slash in later chapters so if you're not into that kind of thing, I think you need to be reading something else. Not everyone sees M/A together.**

**This is a smallish chapter to get the story going and to see whether people like the idea XD**

**Please enjoy and R&R if you want. Thanks.**

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Guards tore through the streets of Camelot. All in search of one soul. Uther, their King, had no tolerance for thieves and there was only one who always got away. There were rumors that the boy must have magic to do the things he did. He could be seen from windows as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the gap between making little difference to his speed and it was often where he lost the guards in a chase. For no ordinary person could do the things he did. It wasn't possible.

Many had said he was but a simple boy. Others claimed he was an older man who had wisdom beyond your wildest dreams. There is sometimes said to be a floating ball of light close to his head that could whisper to him about the surrounding area. People said that _that _was the reason he got away. Most claimed it was the guards lack of skills and abilities to catch the thief. Not even the greatest of the guards could catch him and that was the Prince himself.

Arthur Pendragon.

He could wield a sword like no other. Kill anyone who dared threaten his Kingdom. Could court any woman who laid eyes upon him. Yet this one thief always escaped and it had made the Prince more determined to catch them. Every night he searched the streets, every morning he returned home with the bad news. Never a full sight of the thief was made.

There was even a reward out for the thief to be found and caught. Dead or alive. Nobody was even sure what this person was stealing, how they had even managed to annoy the King so much he'd offer the amount he did for their capture, yet it didn't matter. The amount he offered, it would help an entire family live comfortable for many years and anyone along the streets of Camelot would happily trade someone's life for that kind of lifestyle. Especially with taxes increasing every year.

As the sun faded from the sky and the moon took its place, everyone shut their windows and locked their doors to those who walked through the night. For it was at this time when the thief made their appearance and the guards would roamed the streets brought out their swords. Any who got caught in their way ended up in the cells with no food or water and if suspected in helping the one they sought after, they would find themselves dead before they could even blink.

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"You'd think, after all this time, they'd learn that they will never catch me." Merlin stated as he lay on the rooftop of one of the many buildings in Camelot. He had been watching the children below play games with each other, their childhood innocent and pure as they found new ways to entertain themselves. He had never had that and often found himself wishing to be young again just so he could go and join in.

"You wish for friendship," the soft luring voice came beside him and Merlin smiled ever so slightly. Maybe it was right. Maybe it wasn't the childhood he craved but the smiles they shared between each other, the laughter that made them so happy to be alive. "I am your friend."

Merlin turned his head to look at his 'friend' that floated beside him. At least one of the rumors spread around was true. He did indeed have a ball of light that followed him wherever he went. What they didn't know was that it had been created by himself. The life he lead had forced him to make his own companion in life. Most people would pity him if they knew that so he let the rumors spread about how it came to appear beside him. Let them think mystical creatures existed to be your friend, not your enemy, at least it would help them sleep at night. Rather that then know that all creatures, whether small or large, weren't any more friendlier to them then they were to him.

"They come," it was his only warning before he spotted the guards file out of the Castle grounds one by one. Each taking a street to search. All with swords drawn to kill any who posed a threat. His hand automatically went to go around his throat, imagining what it would feel like to have such a blade cut his head clean off, it wasn't a nice thought he could tell you that. "_He_ is here."

Merlin didn't need to ask who he meant when he said _he._ It was the Prince. He couldn't help but notice that an even greater look of determination covered Arthur's face tonight, as if he believed he'd be bringing Merlin back to his father, on this very night it seemed. Why the Prince bothered Merlin didn't know. What he did know that he grew tired of running away from the typical guards and that playing with Arthur was a lot more fun. He got a lot more frustrated and posed a greater challenge to Merlin when running for his freedom.

"Twenty guards. Five in surrounding area that could pose a threat. How would you like to proceed?" The question was asked to him but all Merlin could do was stare at the figure coming towards him. Arthur had yet to spot him and was glaring at any sign of movement on the ground. Had he not learnt that Merlin liked to travel by rooftop? It was a lot easier and it made you feel like you were flying if you went fast enough. "Merlin?"

"I think tonight I would like to mess with his royal highnesses head. He deserves it after chasing me all these nights." Getting to his feet, Merlin picked up a small stone that had somehow managed to get onto the roof and with a quick flick of his wrist, sent it straight at the prowling Prince. The stone managed to get him right on the head and Merlin placed himself in front of the moon so his appearance couldn't be seen against the light.

"It's you," came the bitter voice of Arthur as he glared up at Merlin. His grip tightening on the sword he held in his hand.

"Yes, it's me."

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The little thief had decided to show himself to Arthur tonight. The past few days he had been told by his numerous guards that they'd caught sight of the 'boy' running across the roof above them, yet none had been able to say they had gotten up close and personal. It seemed the thief had granted him a special treat. For they simply stood on top of the building next to the one he stood at. Although he couldn't see their face, he knew they couldn't be that old. For their figure was thin and scrawny, their clothes hung off them like they were two sizes too big. Their hair even stuck up around their head as the light breeze passed of them. This was a person who took little care in their appearance.

"You are under arrest, by order of Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot." Arthur yelled and waited for what he knew would be an amused reply. The thief never took anything he said seriously.

"Don't you get bored of taking his orders?" They asked and strolled along the edge of the building. Their footsteps confident and they didn't even look at where they walked, as if they knew them off by memory. Arthur liked to think it was a man that he was tracking, for his Father would beat him if it were a woman and the thief sounded like a male. Yet from the distance they often spoke from, it could be a woman with a very low voice who had to yell, he could never be a hundred percent sure and dared not make that judgement now.

"Don't make me come get you thief. Lets make this night a short one and quietly hand yourself over. That way no one gets hurt."

"I always thought you enjoyed our midnight chases. I even dressed for the part," they made some kind of gesture of showing off their outfit before their attention was taken by a small light that floated near their head. "Oh very clever my Prince. You have me distracted by your amusing orders whilst your men approach me from behind. Not very fair, is it?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have turned to a life of crime if you didn't want to be surrounded by guards," Arthur stated and noticed a couple of his men reach the top of the building silently. However by the looks of it, the thief knew exactly where they were. Except they didn't even make a move to run. "Are you giving yourself up?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Oh no, just thought I'd help them out a little by waiting. It always takes the fun out of the chase when the guards can't even catch up to me at the start." They took a casual step onto the next roof top and put their hands behind their back, not once looking back at the guards. "What about you Arthur? Not in the mood to chase little old me?"

"Why chase you when I can have people do it for me?"

"Because, my Prince, I would not be out in the open if it weren't for you. It's you who I wish to chase me. Not them." Arthur raised an eyebrow as the thief crouched down and he could have sworn he saw a faint flash of golden come across their eyes, "Do you not wish to chase me anymore? Have you lost interest?" The sound of the guards falling to the ground reached his ear and he frowned, they had been so close to the thief, why had they suddenly messed up? "Pay attention to me otherwise I'll get testy."

"Wouldn't want that now would we?" Arthur teased and sheathed his sword, making his way over to one of the buildings to make his way up. "I shall catch you thief. Even if it's the last thing I ever do."


	2. Stopping For The Moment

**I apologise if people thought a new chapter had been uploaded before this one. I opened it up today to see that the page breaks hadn't been put in for some reason :S Nothing else has changed so there is no need to re-read it.**

**Thank you for the reviews and people putting it on story alert! I didn't expect anything when I woke up after it only being a few hours. So thank you again!**

**Please enjoy and R&R **

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Tonight would be the night he caught the thief. Even if it didn't look likely to happen as he made his way over yet another rooftop. His fellow guards had quickly given up in the chase as they didn't have the stamina to keep up, but Arthur had an odd feeling the thief had purposely set off at a speed they knew only Arthur could match. Now it was just the two of them. Running from building to building and only the moonlight to light the way. If he wasn't concentrating so much on the task at hand, he probably would be enjoying the late night run.

He had to admit though, even he was getting tired doing all this running and it was obvious to see when his attempts across gaps between homes became half hearted. The thief on the other hand acted like they were taking a casual stroll and was often spotted spinning to see if the Prince still followed. This annoyed him further and kept him going. For now.

"Are you getting tired yet?" They asked with a teasing tone and for once came to a stop. Arthur on the other hand, not expecting this, kept going and ended up going straight into them. A small gasp left their lips as they flew off the side of the building and smashed through the roof of a shed that lay below. He was lucky and didn't get the full impact of the fall, the thief on the other hand lay on their back with Arthur lying on top. Both silent apart from the sounds of heavy breathing.

With the moon no longer above them, they were surrounding in darkness with no way to see each other's faces, which is probably what annoyed Arthur the most. He would finally capture the thief and yet still not know what they looked like.

"Do you mind? You're crushing me." Came a male's voice beneath him and Arthur realised his entire weight was on them. He didn't move. Wouldn't move. This was his only way to be sure the thief wouldn't escape. "Are you seriously going to keep me trapped here until the guards come?"

"Yes, it's your own fault, you shouldn't have stopped."

"And you shouldn't have kept going," they muttered and Arthur felt a weak shove against his chest. For someone with such speed, they didn't do well in the strength department and had no chance in moving his big body. "Get off you prat."

"Prat? I'm the Prince, how dare you speak to me in such a manner!"

"I don't remember Prince's going to such extremes to catch someone."

"Well you're a special case," Arthur said before thinking and glared. That wasn't what he meant.

Arthur shifted his head a little in an attempt to let some light coming from the hole in the roof hit his hostage, but every time he moved, they moved. There wasn't even a brief glimpse of whoever lay beneath him. All he could tell was what he felt and that was whoever it was had probably never had a decent meal in their lives by the lack of fat on their bones. The cloak they wore felt old and well used, the clothes beneath in the same state. This was a person who no one would fear if they actually set eyes upon them.

"Felt enough or do I need to strip as well?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well with your hands exploring me like that, I might get the wrong idea about your intentions." Arthur instantly pushed himself off him and moved to whatever space was left in the shed they had destroyed.

"I was trying to get a better idea on what you looked like. That was it."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," the thief got to his feet and Arthur quickly joined them. "You feel enough to satisfy you or do I need to stick around a bit longer?"

"You aren't going anywhere. I'm taking you back to the castle and my father will place a verdict on you." He took a step towards the figure and tensed as a ball of light came down from the ceiling, going to hover beside the thief who's hood blocked the light from hitting his face.

"I don't think so. How about you stay here and relax until the guards find you and I'll see you tomorrow night." He didn't even seem worried that Arthur could take him down with a single blow. "This has been … fun is the word I'd use." Arthur then saw the guy's eyes flash golden in the darkness, if he didn't know what little light they had, he would have said it was a trick of the light. Suddenly a rope was flung up towards the hole and the ball of light followed the end, not without the thief muttering something to it.

"I told you, I'm not letting you go anywhere!" Arthur went forward and grasped them by the arm, but not before a light hand came against his cheek. He froze on the spot and stared at the figure he couldn't even put a face too. "What are you doing?"

"Just having a little feel for myself, it's only fair." They dropped their hand and moved to place it on his own, it wasn't even hard to make Arthur let go, he was too confused at what had just happened. "Sleep well, my Prince. As from tomorrow I won't make it so easy to catch up to me."

"You've been taking it easy?" He questioned. Hardly believing he was having an actual conversation with the thief. If you could even call it that. They didn't answer the question however as the rope they held suddenly pulled them up and towards the hole, Arthur didn't even try to grab him this time. He just watched as the thief escaped him yet again. It hadn't exactly been difficult either. Arthur had basically just let him walk out of here.

"Prince Arthur!" Came a yell from outside and he sighed. Here came the guards and now he'd have to tell them what had happened. Making his way through the broken furniture that had been destroyed in the fall, he watched as the door was pushed open by Leon, one of his most trusted guards. As the light came in through the open door, Arthur glanced back at the destruction to see some kind of liquid shining in the light, enough to catch his attention.

Walking carefully over, he crouched down and put his fingertips to it. Bringing it up and in the light to see they were now stained red. He now realised this was where they had fallen. Where the thief had taken the full impact of the fall and now it appeared they'd been injured. Yet they had acted like nothing had happened. "What is it?" Leon asked and Arthur picked up some kind of material that had been left behind. This was also stained with blood.

"Hopefully nothing," he muttered and got to his feet. Ready for a good nights sleep. For his father would no doubt yell at him again for letting the thief slip through their, or rather his, fingers.

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"You need help my friend," said his companion as they walked down the final alley to reach his home. He hadn't let the Prince know but that fall had caused him some major injuries and if Arthur had attempted to keep him in his grasp, he would have succeeded. Merlin was in no fit state to fight back. "You're losing too much blood."

"Tell me something I don't know," he muttered and pushed back the material that he liked to think of as a door. Instantly he fell to his knees from the amount of pain he was in and winced as he moved his left arm to push himself back up, apparently he'd done more damage to the arm compared to the rest of him. "Get my book, I need it."

The light flew over to his belongings and brought out the book he needed by changing it's form into a small person. It quickly ran over and opened to the very page Merlin would need to heal himself. Staring down at the book he opened his mouth to speak, except blood took that place of speech and he coughed up further blood. "I should get someone!"

"No. There is no need." Merlin muttered and decided the book wasn't the best option. He was weak enough as it is and healing required a great amount of strength. He simply had to wait a few days and gain enough strength to finish the healing process. That was all. It seemed that he wouldn't be seeing the Prince tomorrow like planned. "Check the surroundings. Make sure we weren't followed," Merlin requested and the little person jumped from the window to do just that.

Ripping off his cloak and top, he looked at the damage done to his body by the fall. It wasn't nice to look at but it just added to the many scars he already had from his past. Knowing there wasn't much he could do for himself tonight, he walked over to the piles of materials he'd gathered to make a bed for himself, the window right by his side to see out across Camelot. From where he lived, he could see almost every point of the Kingdom and the castle looking out across it from the other direction. He often wondered if the Prince looked out just like Merlin was doing now.

"We are safe," came the soft voice and Merlin lay back on his bed. Now he could relax. Besides, having a ball of light that never slept always came in handy when they were at risk at being found. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a Prince," he joked and put a hand to his head. Here came the headache that came after using a spell in his current state. He shouldn't have made that rope appear but Arthur had been determined to capture him and Merlin couldn't let that happen. Uther was mad enough at him for being a thief, if he knew he possessed magic, he'd be doomed. Either to serve the King personally or be burnt at the stake. "Wake me in the morning, I need to get some food for the children."

"You must rest. The children can live without your help for one day."

"They rely on me. If they do not see me, they will fear I've abandoned them and I know first hand what that feels like and wish it upon no one." Merlin admitted and rolled onto his side, his bright blue eyes staring out into the night. "Promise to wake me."

"I promise." With that said, Merlin closed his eyes and felt himself slipping into darkness. His last thoughts on the Prince who had let him escape.


	3. Helping The Enemy

**THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews, people putting this as a favourite story and adding it to story alert. I didn't expect this much on the first couple of days. It brought a big smile to my face! Glad people are enjoying it.**

**Hope you like this chapter as much as the last couple. Lets find out what happens to poor Merlin as he suffers alone with an untreated wound =(**

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Three days. Three days and three nights without a single sighting of the thief. No one was even whispering about seeing him as they closed up their windows for the night. Some even were beginning to think that they were finally free of the thief and Arthur had caught him without letting anyone know. Oh he would have let them all know, he would want the world to know when he captured him, but that had yet to happen.

Instead he was sent out night after night to search for a person who seemed to no longer exist. People were even leaving them homes during the night as they had no fear of their belongings being taken if they left. Many times Arthur had grabbed one of them but instantly known it wasn't the thief by the way they felt, he didn't explain this to the other guards however, most of the time he used his status as an excuse to shut them up about how he knew it wasn't the thief.

He didn't want to admit it but he was slightly worried about him. Once he had returned to the castle, he had looked at the material he found to see that it was a neckerchief, a red one. He only knew there was blood on it because it was still wet. How hurt were they and did they have anyone to help them? Arthur might want to catch the lad but he didn't want any harm to come to him, that was unfair until they found out whether the accusations against him were true.

"My lord," said a females voice and he looked up from the fountain he sat at. He often came out here to look at the water to think. Sometimes it was simply to escape the confinements of the castle. "Are you not feeling well? You've barely spoken for days."

"I'm feeling fine Guinevere," he gave a soft smile and watched as she took the seat next to him. Oddly enough, even though she was a servant, Gwen felt like a sister to him. She had served Morgana for so long now that they had many chances to talk and she was a good companion whenever he got lonely. Sadly she was never enough. Arthur felt something was missing in his life. Yet that feeling never came about at night when he ran through the streets of Camelot.

"Still no luck catching that thief?" She asked.

"No, not that I care, my life doesn't revolve around that sarcastic idiot." Flicking the water with his fingers, Arthur glared intently at it, wishing that he could glare at the thief instead.

"Well I wish you good like in your search later tonight, it's a full moon so there will be plenty of light to search the smaller alleys, maybe you'll get lucky in catching them."

"I have a feeling he'll only be caught when he _wants _to be caught." Arthur watched her go and pulled out the neckerchief he kept in his pocket. Just like he had suspected of his clothing, this was also made of thin material and had a few holes in from how often the material was used. He could never imagine having to put up with such minor things, if he ever got a hole in his clothing, they were burnt and a new one was put in its place.

Letting his thumb run over what was now the dry blood he sighed, wondering if the thief would indeed turn up tonight. "Where are you …" he thought out loud and glanced at the castle gates. Tonight he would leave here like any other night but he wouldn't be returning unless he had some answers.

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"You are running a fever and should not be getting up." Merlin waved the annoying light away from his face and pushed himself up so he was at least sitting. Apparently when you left a wound as bad as his it got infected and with no medicine available to him, it had only gotten worse. "If you wait another night you can heal yourself. Just rest. Your body can't take the strain."

"I've got to eat and there's no food left. I won't go far. Besides, the guards aren't due out for another hour or two, plenty of time to sneak out without them seeing me." Now on his feet, Merlin put a hand to his arm and winced. His companion was right, he needed to rest, except his body needed the substance from food to keep going. He'd been lasting on pieces of bread for the past three days and it hadn't been enough.

"You'll be caught."

"I'll stick to the alleys since they'll expect me on the roof if I end up taking longer than necessary. Besides, with you there, I'll know if they're coming." Pulling on his boots, he ignored the new hole that a mouse had created and went for the door. "Where's my cloak?" He asked and didn't need to wait for an answer as he spotted it on the floor, apparently he had abandoned it on his return home. Merlin could barely remember what happened after he had left the Prince in the shed. Only the pain he'd been in had registered.

Ignoring the pain he was in now, he pulled on the cloak and lifted the hood over his head. This was a simple task. Get out, get food, get back. He wasn't stealing anything of value and with his silence the past few days, no one would be as on guard.

Ten minutes later Merlin was leaning against a wall as more guards ran past, each claiming to have spotted him and yet all going in the wrong direction. What was Arthur playing at? The guards never came out this early since civilians remained out on the streets and the sun hadn't fully set. Merlin had luckily spotted him leaving the castle grounds as he rounded a corner and had quickly slipped in amongst a crowd of people as the guards walked past. Arthur had been yelling orders to search the rooftops and not to let the thief escape. It appeared he hadn't told them _he _was in fact the one who let Merlin escape.

"You should go home," the light whispered next to him and Merlin shook his head.

"I still haven't got any food."

Merlin covered the light with his hand as Arthur neared the alley he hid in. For a prat of a Prince, he had good instincts and it had taken most of the time Merlin had been out to avoid him. Holding his breath, he thanked whoever watched over him that the sun was so low that only shadows filled the alley he stood in, meaning that unless Arthur came down here himself, Merlin was safe.

"He's here!" Someone yelled and Merlin's entire body tensed, at least until he saw them running off in the wrong direction. Taking his chance he slipped out the alley and walked the other way from the guards, keeping his eyes forward so not to attract attention.

"It's you! You're the one they're looking for!" A firm hold grabbed his wrist and pulled at his bad arm, he let out a cry of pain as they dragged him into the light.

"Let me go!" Merlin pleaded and struggled to get free. It was his one weakness. Strength. Just at that moment his companion appeared and buzzed in the holders face, causing enough of a distraction that they let Merlin go. Except the commotion was enough to attract Arthur's attention who had been at the back of the guards running off. "Damn it," he muttered and ran for his life.

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A smile lit up his face as he saw the thief. He had finally made an appearance.

Having no time to alert the other guards, Arthur took off at a fast run to catch up to the boy who was now pushing past people. They were on the one street that barely had any alleys luckily and for some reason the thief wasn't attempting to get onto the roofs. "Stop!" Arthur yelled and cursed the armor he wore. He was strongly protected with this armor but when he was running it weighed him down. Especially at moments like these.

They turned a corner at the end of the street and Arthur tried to ignore the fact they had some of the biggest buildings either side of them. It had never been said but there was always the possibility this thief had help and what better way to get it then have people in windows who could attack at any moment.

Everyone had retired inside now as they heard the chase commence and he could see the cloak surrounding the figure up ahead. He could have sworn they were slowing down too. They eventually reached the top of the slight hill they'd been climbing and Arthur cursed as the thief slipped into another dark alley which Arthur could barely see down. "Would you stop! I just want to talk!" He yelled. For some reason, the thief actually hesitated in his footsteps and Arthur slowed to show he meant what he said.

"Why?" Came a soft voice that he barely recognised. That sounded nothing like the thief.

"I have questions," he admitted and came to a stop. The thief on the other hand took a few more steps away before leaning against the wall, his outline just visible to Arthur who was relying on light coming from the windows up above.

"We all have questions," he muttered and seemed to grab his arm that wasn't resting against the wall.

"Are you hurt?"

"Why should you care?" The voice was now bitter and if anything, less familiar.

"I don't but I know you took the full force of that fall when you could have easily shoved me away so I'd get hurt," any fool knew that. "Have you had treatment?"

"If you have failed to notice, I'm not exactly loaded with money, I can't afford to get treated like you can with every tiny scratch you get." They slipped to the ground and now pressed their back to the wall, their breathing heavier than Arthur had ever seen. Even after their chases the thief never struggled to catch his breath. "Is that all you wanted? To check I was okay? You sure _you're _not the one who needs looking after? Since when did a Prince care about a thief?"

"Look, let me help you." Arthur didn't bother answering the questions. He didn't even know why he was acting this way. He should be capturing the thief not trying to help him. "I know a lot about wounds and could probably help. You just need to get into the light-"

"Ah ha! So that's the reason behind all this. You don't care about my injuries. You, Arthur Pendragon, want to put a face to the person who's been your pray for the past few years."

"I'd hardly call you pray."

"Well thats what it feels like when you chase me. I may enjoy it from time to time but I would like one night when I didn't have to look around every corner to check there wasn't a guard."

"Then don't steal things! You brought this upon yourself." Arthur stated and the thief went quiet. Just as he went to carry on the ball of light made its appearance. Once again the hood concealed the thief's face as the light hovered in front of him, both exchanging words by the sounds of it and a small groan came from the boy. "What's going on?"

"Your men are coming so I've got to get going." He got to his feet and Arthur took a step towards him, "Not another step otherwise I'll get my friend here to rip you to shreds."

"Can it really do that?"

"Believe me, when its pissed off, you don't want to be on the receiving end." Arthur only managed to hear the final bit before the guards voices filled the street behind him. They would be here any moment and would see that Arthur wasn't capturing him. "Not going to capture me?" The thief asked.

"Could you stop me if I tried?" Arthur asked.

"Probably not," the thief muttered and took a few steps in the opposite direction. Only to fall against the wall a moment later. The ball of light turned into a small person and helped him stand, Arthur could barely believe it could change shape. "No, I am not asking him for help. Get me out of here," he whispered to the ball and Arthur could almost imagine the thief glaring at it.

"I'll help you."

"No, you won't. You'll turn me over to your father. I can look after myself," they went to keep going but the small person stopped them.

"Help him," they directed their demand towards Arthur. So it did talk.

"I told you no!" An angry tone left the cloaked figure.

"He's got a fever, hasn't eaten a decent meal and his wound is infected. He won't last the night," Arthur walked down the alley as he heard the guards run past. They could search all night if they wanted. The thief had gotten hurt because of him and he didn't like being in someone's debt. "Please."

"I will kill you if you come any closer." Arthur smirked, he didn't sound that threatening when he was barely standing by himself. By the time Arthur reached him, he was already falling back towards the floor, the small person the only thing from stopping any further damage. "Stay. Away."

"Not a chance."

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**Some of you may wonder why it's Merlin being hurt and not Arthur like the description says. Let me assure you that Arthur is the one who gets hurt. This is something else entirely. **

**Hopefully you don't get too confused.**


	4. Forgetting The Night

Thank you so much for the support everyone =) I'm glad people like it

Note about what people have pointed out; yes I do realise that the description says Arthur gets hurt, but as someone also said, this will be used in the sense that Merlin will be in Arthur's debt when he gets hurt.

Enjoy and R&R if you like

"You know, you're making this awfully difficult." Arthur muttered and Merlin smiled. Arthur had managed to get him safely to the boarders of the castle grounds, at which point Merlin refused to go any further and Arthur had gone to find the court physician. He returned quickly with some ointment and bandages for Merlin's wound. Now Merlin was sat with his back to him, Arthur had been told to look away as Merlin took off his top and quickly covered himself with his cloak over his head. Leaving his back bare for Arthur to treat.

"How is this difficult?"

"Well …" Arthur tried to come up with an excuse as to why he needed Merlin's cloak to be taken off. "It just is. Can't you get rid of this cloak thing? I can barely see your shoulder."

"Just get on with it," he muttered and kept his gaze forward. Merlin couldn't believe he was letting the Prince help him like this but he was no idiot. His wound was getting dangerously close to being the cause of his capture and it was only by chance that it had been Arthur who found him, not another guard. "Why are you helping me?"

"I owe you one, you stopped me from being hurt in that fall, even if you didn't mean too. You're hurt because of me. Just accept my help and stop grumbling about it." Merlin winced as the bandage was pressed against the wound as Arthur began wrapping it around his body. Arthur had gasped when he saw the damage when Merlin had allowed him to look, apparently he had a huge cut going from his middle to his shoulder and enough bruises on his arm that you could barely see skin. It would explain why his arm had been so painful.

"Want to tell me how you got the rest of these scars?" Arthur asked quietly as he finished off wrapping the bandage. Merlin didn't reply and simply turned his head to the side, staring at the wall they were near in sudden fascination. "You're right, none of my business."

Silence fell between them and Merlin shuddered as a cold gust of wind blew through the alley. Knowing that Arthur was done, he got to his feet and kept his back turned as he dropped the cloak, his hands quick to pull on his top before any more scars could be seen in the little amount of light he had allowed. Once his cloak was securely tied around his neck, he let a breath out that he knew he'd been holding all this time and could almost feel Arthur's stare at the back of his head.

"Thank you," Merlin said softly and turned to face him. He didn't need his magic to heal himself anymore, which meant he could cast a spell that would ease his mind. With that in mind, he dropped his hood and Arthur seemed to freeze at the sight of him.

"You're-"

"Not what you expected?"

"You're so young. I was expecting someone a lot older than myself and from the rumors, so do a lot of people." Merlin smirked at that comment and turned his head a little as his companion came to talk to him.

"What is it my friend?" He whispered quietly.

"Guards, almost all of them. They search for the Prince and believe you may have harmed him. We should leave. They are almost upon us."

"Give me a minute," Merlin replied and the light flew off in the other direction. Turning his attention back to Arthur he realised that he was being studied from head to toe. As if he was taking in as much detail as possible. "Like what you see, my Prince?" He teased.

"I am not-" Arthur started and then smiled himself. "It seems you're feeling better already."

"I am. Thanks to you." Merlin approached the Prince slowly and he had to say, Arthur was brave. He had no idea what Merlin could do and yet made no movement away, he stood his ground firmly with no fear in his eyes.

"How are you already better? You should be in so much pain."

"I have my ways," magical ways that is. "I am in your debt Arthur. When the time comes, I shall repay you for what you have done here tonight. After all, you could have easily captured me and taken me to Uther. Instead you helped me."

"You would have done the same for anyone," Arthur replied and his body tensed as Merlin raised his hand to his cheek as he did in that shed all those nights ago. "What is your name?" The question came from the Prince's lips and Merlin shivered inwardly as his warm breath hit his face. They were so close now that anyone looking down the alley would think them a couple sneaking about the grounds at night.

"It does not matter what I am called, you will not remember." He gently brushed the hair from Arthur's forehead and laughed as it fell right back down.

"Of course I'd remember!" Arthur claimed as if it was an offense to suggest otherwise.

"No, you won't. Everything about tonight will be forgotten. You will believe that you simply got lost in the streets of Camelot and never found me."

"Wh-" Yet another question was going to be asked and Merlin did the only thing he could to silence the Prince. He pressed his lips gently against Arthur's and cupped his face in his hands to keep him where he stood. To his surprise, the Prince didn't push him away, instead he leaned into the kiss and wrapped an arm around his waist to bring Merlin closer.

When they broke apart it was only because they could hear the guards approaching and Merlin knew it was time to go. It was strange, he had never expected the Prince to be so kind and gentle. He always gave off the appearance of being strong and that he never let anything effect him. It seemed Merlin did though. Merlin wished Arthur didn't have to forget. That he could trust that the Prince wouldn't use tonight against him and let everyone know just how vulnerable Merlin was at the moment with his wound. Arthur had to forget but at least Merlin would remember.

"Ofergitolian," the spell was whispered against Arthur's lips and the Prince's eyes rolled into the back of his head. Catching him before he fell, Merlin lowered him to the ground and gently lay his head on the soil. When he had his eyes closed, Arthur looked as delicate as any young boy did, when he woke up he would be the hard cold Prince that everyone admired. "I am in your debt my Prince and I'm sorry but you won't get this close to me again."

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When he opened his eyes the last thing he expected was to see his guards all staring down at him with worry. Sir Leon being the closest as he sat at his side in a chair. "What happened?" Arthur asked. The last thing he remembered was leaving the castle in search of the thief.

"We found you unconscious Sire. There is blood on the ground but no sign of any injuries on you, we feared you'd been killed." Sir Leon stepped back as Arthur got out of the bed he'd been lying on and put a hand to his head, quickly getting over the head rush of getting up too quickly.

"And the thief? Did you catch him?"

"No Sire. We've been looking for you for most of the night. Uther sent word that we must return after he heard of your condition and we've been waiting for you to wake up ever since." Arthur nodded and looked at the surrounding men.

"Inform the King that I am fine and just need a nights rest. Thank you for watching over me. I'll meet you all at training tomorrow," they all bowed in his direction before leaving him in his chambers.

Arthur ran a hand through his hair as he walked out onto the balcony, his eyes looking out across Camelot as the moon beamed down on him. Why couldn't he remember anything? Had he bashed his head bad enough whilst in search of the thief that it had caused him short term damage? Knowing that it was unlikely he'd ever find out Arthur sighed and looked at the rooftops of the nearest buildings.

Only to see the shape of a figure standing on one. Their cloak blew in the wind and there was a small light floating near their head. Arthur knew without question it was the thief. He was fine by the looks of it too. After three nights of not letting himself be seen only now was he appearing. When Arthur was too far away to do anything and he could be gone in the blink of an eye if necessary. He wondered why the thief even bothered showing himself, he didn't know Arthur would come out of his room and nothing could be said from such a distance.

"What are you up too?" Arthur whispered out loud and frowned. The thief was up to something and Arthur was determined to find out what.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You are risking being caught Merlin," his companion said in concern.

"I just wanted to make sure he was alright." Merlin watched as Arthur stared right back at him and he could only imagine what was going through his head. Only when the Prince walked back into his room did Merlin sigh and turn to leave.

Arthur wouldn't remember tonight. They were back to being the Prince and the thief. Two people who had barely talked and their closest contact had been in the shed. Never had they shared a kiss and never would Arthur know what Merlin looked like. That was the way it had to be.


	5. Caught By Arrows

**Thanks again for the reviews =)**

**This one is little shorter than the others but it's mostly to set the scene**

**Enjoy!**

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"So you are telling me that for almost two weeks there hasn't been a sighting of this thief?" Uther asked over dinner. Arthur kept his face expressionless in fear of showing that he had been lying a little. Yes, the thief hadn't been seen, apart from that time from the balcony. Unfortunately from that point onwards it had been the whispers of towns people that had lead them down streets instead of movements of the thief. Arthur was beginning to wonder if they'd ever see him again.

"There have been no sightings but I know he's still out there. Food is still going missing from several places and a few people have claimed to have seen him. I will find him, Father."

"Make sure that you do, I won't have a thief running around _my _Kingdom and give people the idea that I can't keep everyone in check. Double the amount of guards you take with you, fresh eyes might help you."

"I have enough men, I don't need anymore."

"I've let you have control over what happens with the guards far too long Arthur, I expected that thief to have been found by now. You will take _double _the amount tonight, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sire," Arthur poked at his food and met Morgana's gaze over the table. She gave him a comforting smile and drank leisurely from her cup. Morgana always kept quiet in these situations, only expressing her opinion if it concerned her, this did not.

Once dinner was finished, Arthur excused himself and went straight for the grounds where his men would be waiting. Only this time they wouldn't be going out. They'd stay exactly where they were for the night.

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Merlin frowned as he watched the sun rise in the distance. Camelot began to stir below and people emerged from their homes at the start of a new day. He was frowning because last night had been the first night in years that the guards hadn't tried to track him down. There had been no sign of Arthur and his men, Merlin had even appeared in the open to lure them out if they were hiding.

Nothing had happened.

So when the new day started he couldn't help but feel worried. Arthur wasn't someone who gave up and he certainly wouldn't let Merlin keep stealing without intervening. No … something was going to happen. He just didn't know what.

"Merlin, the children will be waiting." The tiny light whispered in his ear and Merlin nodded, knowing it was right. When he'd returned after his wound had been treated, they had clung to him like they would never let go, claiming they thought he'd never come back. He'd promised them that it wouldn't happen again and every morning since then he'd turned up with their food. Most of the time they just enjoyed his company. Sometimes all they could do was stuff their faces with food that had been denied to them.

"Lets go before the streets get too busy," Merlin said and grabbed the bag of food he'd managed to steal that night. Seeing as there were no guards, he'd had no trouble in getting food, he had enough bags to last him a few weeks. As long as it didn't go off.

Slipping the bag over his shoulder, he left through his 'door' and took a few turns to find the place where the children sat waiting. He never told them he lived nearby, he'd never have a moments peace, but it certainly helped them being so close when so many people were looking for him. "Hey kids," he yelled and they squealed in delight as he emerged from the shadows.

"You came!" They all cheered and hugged him tightly as he knelt down on the ground. There were six children that always came to see him, the rest either came a few times a week or rarely. Today around ten had turned up to see what he had brought them.

"I have some yummy food for you today, it's delicious, fit for even a Prince!" Merlin claimed.

"I think I'll be the judge of that," came a familiar voice and Merlin's entire body tensed up. Arthur was here. Merlin never wore his cloak during the day, it attracted too much attention and no one tended to look for him then. He had thought himself safe. "You have a lot of food for one person, may I ask where you got it?" Merlin remained quiet and handed out the rest of the food. "Answer me!"

"Run along now," Merlin said quietly as the last of the food got handed to Freya and he watched as the children scattered. The guards he knew that stood behind him not even attempting to catch them. In their eyes, the children were no threat. Merlin on the other hand, was.

"You think ignoring me will help this problem go away?" Arthur asked and put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, "Answer me." Still no answer. "Fine, lets see how talkative you are in front of my father."

Just as Arthur went to turn him Merlin looked to the sky and whispered, "Regnian." Suddenly the skies filled with clouds and a heavy downpour came over Camelot, causing Arthur to release him by a quick shove backwards. The thing about rain was that even a simple push can make you fall over as the ground softens. It was all that Merlin needed to take his chance and run for the nearest alley.

"Oh no you don't! After him!"

Of course Arthur wasn't going to let a bit of rain stop him. Merlin groaned as his body bashed against the sides of the buildings, he hadn't picked the widest alley for the reason that not many could squeeze down it. Him being so skinny meant it was perfect for him. Yet Arthur still managed to follow him. The other guards falling behind as they attempted to slip through with the armor they wore. Only when Merlin glanced back did he see Arthur wore normal clothes.

Odd for someone like the Arthur to venture out into Camelot with no armor. You never could know what lay behind every turn when you were the Prince. He took a big risk but then again, no armor meant no one paid attention to you and it was probably why Merlin hadn't spotted him when approaching the children.

"You are being chased," came a small voice beside him.

"Don't you think I can see that!"

"Run faster, he's almost catching up to you." Growling under his breath at Arthur's determination, he picked up his speed and finally saw the end of the alley that lead out into the open. It was one of the main routes used to get in and out of Camelot, the perfect place for Merlin to get lost in.

Merlin smiled as he finally escaped the tiny space and then came to a halt as he faced what appeared to be a dozen guards. All with arrows pointed at him. He went to say a spell, any kind of spell that could be used in defensive, but the second in command after Arthur told them to fire.

Before the arrows had left their crossbows, a huge weight came into the back of him and Merlin went face first into the mud. He heard the arrows flying over him a moment later and he winced inwardly as he heard them hit something, or more precisely, _someone_. Merlin slowly pushed himself up and turned to see Arthur stood in his place, dozens of arrows sticking out of his body as he stood there in shock.

"NO!" His voice wasn't his own as he watched the Prince fall to the ground and the guards that had once been stood around them were now flying in the air in all directions. Merlin crawled over to Arthur's side and looked down at the huge eyes that still looked at the world in shock. "You're going to be okay," he told him and tried to ignore the arrows that were no doubt going through vital organs. "Just keep breathing Arthur, I'll help you, I promise."

Arthur turned his head now, looking at Merlin with slightly less widened eyes and Merlin gasped when he felt a hand grasp his own. The Prince now frowned as he studied Merlin, "_You're_ the thief?"

"Now is not the time to be thinking about that. We need to get you somewhere safe," Merlin went to get to his feet but the grasp tightened on his hand. "Arthur, let me go get help."

"I have numerous arrows sticking out of me, even you can't be so idiotic to think I'll live through this … it would take nothing short of a miracle to-" Arthur stopped speaking when blood started to leave his lips and Merlin's hands shook as he grasped Arthur's tightly in his own.

"Or maybe a little bit of magic."

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"Can you look me in the eye and tell me that again," Uther demanded as the guards faced him.

"Your Son is missing my lord. We had the thief trapped, had arrows aimed at his body incase he tried anything and he did. Except Arthur was suddenly in his place and we had no time to stop-"

"You shot Arthur with arrows?"

"Yes, Sire, numerous arrows. The thief didn't take it well and next thing we knew we were all waking up on the ground, the rain still pouring down on us. Both the thief and the Prince were gone."

"The _thief _has _my _Son?"

"We believe so, Sire."

"I want every house searched! Not a stone left unturned until you find him. The reward will be tripled to anyone who can bring me back my Son and a greater reward if the thief is brought too. I want them found, do you hear? Bring me my Son!"


	6. In The Hands Of The Enemy

**Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter =) Obviously this is where the main plot begins. Enjoy!**

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"You should not have brought him here, he'll know where you live and the first chance he gets he'll arrest you." Merlin rolled his eyes as his companion, for what felt like the hundredth time, told him it was a bad idea to have brought the Prince to his home. He had had little choice though. Arthur had so many wounds that only magic could heal him and Merlin would not do that out in the open, plus it would be a process that would take many days. So it meant they'd needed a safe place to stay and Merlin could only think of his home being that.

"He won't. Besides, I can always erase his memories again, no big deal."

"You can't just keep doing that, his brain will get all messed up, then Camelot will have no Prince."

"I'm finding it hard to see the downside," Merlin teased and threw some empty bags into the corner. He'd gone on a stealing spree, if that's what you call it, to get some supplies for when Arthur woke up. Usually Merlin just read a book to pass the time but he knew the Prince would complain. So he'd gone out, stolen cushions, blankets, more books, a rug and now he was considering getting some other form of entertainment. He just didn't know what Arthur liked to do in his spare time.

"I still think this is a bad idea," came a mutter.

"He's hardly in a position to do anything. Look at him … he's …" Merlin looked over at the sleeping Prince and sighed. Truth be told, Arthur still looked strong even when he was injured and unconscious. Going over to kneel by his side, Merlin put his hand over one of his wounds and let his magic flow into him further. The closer he was to Arthur the quicker he'd heal and he was almost certain that the moment Arthur awoke, Merlin wouldn't be allowed anywhere near him.

"Uther is probably searching the city this very moment."

"Let him search, he's never found me before and he still won't. He might be King but he doesn't know Camelot as well as I do." Merlin would have carried on but Arthur stirred beneath his touch, his head now fell to one side and the hair fell from his face to reveal more of his features. "I bet all the ladies come crawling at his feet," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just an observation," he replied and got to his feet. Arthur would need food when he woke up and Merlin didn't have nearly enough for both of them to share. Especially since he had heard what an appetite Arthur had. "Watch over him. I'll be back."

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When Arthur woke up he expected to be back in the castle, tucked safely in his bed with his manservant bringing him breakfast. Instead when he opened his eyes he found himself in what he could only describe as a building that had basically been destroyed. There were holes in the walls and most of the roof was missing, he didn't even dare to look at the state of the floor in fear he'd fall through and he could only imagine what kind of person had brought him here.

This would be the perfect place to kill him as they would never find his body.

"You should not move," came a tiny voice and Arthur turned his head to see a small ball of light. Where had he seen that thing before? "Your wounds were great and you haven't healed enough to be moving around."

Suddenly the memory of what happened resurfaced. He had been running down a tiny alley after the thief, they had been mere meters apart and Arthur knew he would catch up to him. As they had escaped the confinements of the alley, Arthur hadn't had time to stop when he saw the thief frozen on the spot and instead pushed him to the ground so they wouldn't collide into each other. Then what felt like a dozen arrows hit his body, most going all the way through his flesh and some lodged between bones.

Arthur threw off the blanket that was covering him as he sat up and he looked down at his body. The wounds were all there, looking so painful he didn't know how he wasn't screaming, he shouldn't even be alive by the looks of it. The worst wound was in the middle of his chest where some blood still dripped from the open scar. "How …" he looked at the light and glared, "Did you do this?"

"No, M-" it began to say but movement from the ledge beside him moved it's attention away from Arthur. Looking to what could be mistaken as a huge window but was more like an entire wall missing, his eyes landed on a man who crouched on the ledge, his cloak blowing around him as the breeze came over Camelot.

Arthur felt frozen as his eyes met the blue ones that he had been dreaming about for days, he didn't know why, he had never gotten a good look at the thief's eyes. Yet there they were, looking exactly like he knew they would. They were eyes meant for someone who could steal your soul in a single look and at the same time make you feel so safe that you never wanted to look away. Arthur didn't even register anything else about him, all he could do was stare and hope that he never had to look anywhere else.

"You're awake," they stated the obvious and slipped off the ledge. Arthur snapped out of his trance as the thief moved and he noticed he was carrying a large bag on his back, which he placed gently on the ground amongst some others. "How are you feeling?" He glanced over his shoulder at Arthur as he removed his cloak and hung it up on a bent nail coming out of the wall. Arthur still couldn't reply.

The thief could barely be above his twenties, his hair was a dark black that was uneven and messy, his skin was so pale that he could be mistaken for a ghost and the shadows in the nights hadn't shown Arthur exactly how thin this thief was. It was a shock that he hadn't just snapped in two when they fell into the shed all those nights ago. "Are you in pain?" He asked.

"No," Arthur managed to reply and he smiled in return. God that smile, Arthur had never seen a smile that lit up the room so much. "I should be dead."

"Yes, you should but I owed you. Besides, I think Camelot would be doomed if you really died, Uther would become worser than he already is." He came over and crouched beside Arthur, his gaze on the wound on his chest. For some reason, Arthur suddenly felt very conscious that he was barely dressed and that he had no means of defending himself. "Are you hungry? I got you some food."

"You mean stole," Arthur remarked before he could stop himself.

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Merlin couldn't help but smirk as Arthur pointed out that the food was stolen. He was right of course. Merlin didn't have any money and if he needed to eat, he had to steal. If only the Prince would realise that if Merlin could, he would stop the thefts and live life like a normal person. For now however, this was how it had to be. "Yes, stolen."

"I don't want to eat any stolen food, it goes against everything I've been doing for the past few years, you should be ashamed of yourself. Good people earn money for that food and you take it away, for what? Fun?" Getting to his feet Merlin ignored what the Prince said, he could complain about how Merlin lived all he wanted, it wasn't going to change anything. "And how do you owe me? Last time I checked you were the one who saved me from being injured when we fell."

"You wouldn't want to know why," Merlin commented and went over to some shelves he'd built in the long days where he'd had nothing to do. Sat upon them was many herbs and ointments for injuries, whilst Arthur had been unconscious Merlin had read a book about what was the best way to treat wounds like his and then had gotten all the supplies needed. Using this as an excuse not to look at Arthur, he pretended to be searching for something that he knew was on the bottom shelf on the far right.

"Has it got something to do with that night I can't remember anything about?"

"What makes you think I have anything to do with that?"

"It's the only logical explanation. So, was it you? Did you bash my head or something?"

"No," Merlin said and grabbed the bottle he needed. Walking back over to Arthur he knelt down and pushed the blanket off his legs where it covered slightly. "I took your memories," Merlin admitted and then poured the ointment over one of his wounds. Arthur yelled out and grabbed Merlin's wrist, stopping him from doing it again. Not that he would, most of his wounds were healing by themselves, it was only a few that actually needed treatment.

When Arthur's pain lessened, he kept a firm hold on Merlin and turned his angry gaze directly at him. "You took my memories? Why? What else have you done to me?"

"Nothing Arthur, you just shouldn't remember that night."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because you'd kill me if you knew," Merlin commented and set the bottle on the ground so he could use his other hand to balance himself. "Can you let me go? You may not be hungry but I am."

"What's your name?"

"What?"

"What. Is. Your. Name." Arthur said quietly and brought him closer with a hard tug. For someone with so many injuries, he was still stronger than Merlin by far. "You know my name and I can't keep referring to you as a thief. Tell me."

"Ask nicely," Merlin requested.

"I am the Prince and I order you to tell me your name," Arthur said firmly and Merlin winced as he was pulled from his crouch into a kneeling position. Putting his free hand to Arthur's shoulder to stop himself from being pulled closer, he remained silent, waiting for that all important word he wanted to hear. "Are you seriously going to make me say it?" Merlin nodded. "Please can you tell me your name?"

"I will tell you when you wake up," he said softly.

"When I wake up?"

"_Geswefian_." The spell was cast and Arthur fell back onto the bed. His eyes now closed and his breathing heavy as he slipped into the world of dreams. "I'm sorry," Merlin whispered and took his wrist from Arthur's grip.

"Why did you do that?" His companion asked.

"He needs to rest and Arthur can be stubborn, it was the only thing I could do."

"Are you sure it wasn't because you didn't want him knowing your name?"

"Why should that change anything?" Merlin questioned as he got to his feet to get himself some food. With Arthur unconscious, Merlin could relax and keep an eye out for any guards that came near his home. So far he'd seen dozens cross a nearby alley but none had entered, for they didn't believe anything could be up here.

"Maybe you're scared that once he knows your name that you'll become vulnerable," it said and flew over to him. It hovered in front of his face and it's glow dimmed, "You never tell anyone who you are, maybe you could let someone in, take the chance he won't betray you."

"I can't take that chance."


	7. Memories Of The Past

**Just want to apologise for using they instead of he in some of these chapters XD A couple of people have pointed it out and I'll be trying to correct that mistake**

**Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying this as much as I am writing it.**

**This is in Arthur's POV.**

**Enjoy and R&R if you like it.**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

He was alone when he woke up. There was no sign of the thief and the small ball of light that had been around last time to keep an eye on him. Where were they?

Arthur pushed himself up so that he was sitting and pushed back the sheet that covered the 'window' of the building to see Camelot below. He had to say, whoever had him certainly knew how to pick a place to live, this view was almost as good as his back at the castle. Arthur couldn't help but notice that the castle was in full view of where he was, it made him wonder how many nights the thief had spent staring at it, cursing the King for getting guards to chase him every night. It must be tiring.

As his stomach made a noise of complaint, Arthur dropped the sheet and slowly got to his feet. His wounds hurt a lot more than the last time he woke up, he could actually feel ever scar stretch as his body straightened and he was almost tempted to sit back down. Except he was hungry and a hungry Arthur was not someone anyone would want to face.

Just as he went to head for the bags that he suspected contained food, he heard a commotion going on outside and he was quick to pear through a gap by the sheet to see the thief running across the rooftops like he had done so many times before. Arthur watched as he dodged guards without any hesitation, as if he knew where they were and he ran straight towards where Arthur was being kept. Was he stupid? He was leading them straight back to where he lived?

Wait, what was he saying, he wanted them to find him. Arthur could get better treatment back at the castle and the thief would finally be off the streets, Arthur could finally have a good nights rest without having to leave the castle grounds beforehand. He kept watching. Wanting to see what the thief did to escape. Uther had obviously sent out more guards than usual, his Son being the priority to be found and the thief was no doubt the number one suspect who could tell them Arthur's whereabouts.

"Run you idiot," Arthur muttered unconsciously as the thief came his way.

Suddenly the thief dived off the nearest building and straight into one of the lower floors of wherever Arthur was. He could hear the small crash from below and Arthur watched the guards to see them confused, they had no idea where he had gone. Had he been like that? Had the thief simply slipped into a building almost silently and then waited for Arthur to give up? How many times had Arthur come so close to catching him like the guards had just been?

Arthur stepped away from the window and turned to face the noise of someone entering the room. It was the thief. He was breathing a little heavier than usual and his cloak was torn in so many places there was almost no point in wearing it. With a small growl of frustration, he tore it off his body and threw it on the ground to reveal some cuts covering his flesh from where his clothes were damaged.

"Are you okay?" Arthur couldn't help but ask.

The thief apparently had forgotten that Arthur was there since the moment Arthur spoke he had already risen his hand, to do what Arthur didn't know, he could only guess it was a defensive maneuver. Then again, he had seen him use magic before, when he'd made that rope appear. Was the boy standing in front of him really a sorcerer?

"Oh, it's you." The thief lowered his hand and gave a sigh of relief, "I thought they'd followed me."

"No, not this time. They're running around the streets looking like lost chickens," that earned him a small laugh and Arthur smiled in return. "Where were you?" Arthur asked.

"I got word that Frey-" the thief started to say and then froze. "It doesn't matter."

He frowned at the response. Clearly it had mattered enough to leave the confinements of his home and be at risk of getting caught. However Arthur wasn't surprised he hadn't been told anything. The thief didn't trust him just like Arthur didn't trust the thief. "You know, I'm still waiting for you to tell me your name. Give me something to call you at least."

"Why do names matter so much to you? Would it make a difference?" He asked and grabbed a small cloth to dampen with some water. Arthur watched as he stripped himself of his top and began to clean his wounds so not to cause infection. A brief flash of a wound on someone's back came to mind and how much that had been infected, but when Arthur tried to remember more the memory vanished. Who's wound had that been?

"Here, let me help." Arthur grabbed the cloth of the young boy and went around to his back to reach the wounds he was struggling with. Just as he pressed the damp cloth to a cut he noticed a wound that had healed over, a large cut that ran from his shoulder to the middle of his back and the memory that had surfaced before now began to bug him. If the thief was the one who'd been hurt, how had Arthur ended up so close to see the wound and at a point when it had become infected. He hadn't seen the thief that close in weeks.

"Something wrong? You've stopped."

"Nothing …" he muttered and carried on with cleaning his wounds. The only time he could possibly think of that he could have forgotten helping the thief was when he woke up with no memory of the previous night. Had he put a spell on him? Made him forget? "You did something to me," he thought out loud without bothering to hide his concern.

"What would this something be?"

"You made me forget," the thief tensed up at those words and moved away from Arthur. "Don't deny it," Arthur grabbed him by the arm and turned the thief to face him. "What did you make me forget?"

"Why do you think I did such a thing? We've only been this close now and one time in the shed."

"You're lying through your teeth. I've seen that wound before," he didn't need to explain which one. "I have one night missing where I can't remember a thing and a memory that doesn't fit in anywhere. You do the math. What happened? Did I catch you and you made me forget, is that it?"

"You don't want to know Arthur. Honestly … it's better left in the past."

"How come you get to know and I don't? You're keeping me in the dark. You won't tell me your name, your helping me for no reason and now you tell me something happened and I'm not allowed to remember it? That's not fair! Tell me what happened. Take the spell off." Arthur gripped his arm harder as he tried to move away, "And don't even think about casting another spell. Stop hiding behind your magic."

"I'm not hiding behind my magic!"

"Yes, you are. You use it to escape my men so you can hide in this place. You use it to make people forget things just for your convenience and whenever someone wants to know something about you, you send them to sleep. Now tell me, what happened that night?"

"You're not going to like it," he muttered and raised his hand to Arthur's head. "**Gemynegian.**"

Arthur clutched onto his arm as a warm spark came into his head and a scene played out in front of him. He was himself but he wasn't controlling what he was doing and Arthur watched as he tended to the thief's wound near the castle walls. What shocked him most was when the thief revealed himself, clearly that had been the moment he decided to rid Arthur of his memories as he did the one thing that Arthur never expected. He kissed him. It wasn't even a peck on the lips and Arthur hadn't pushed him away. If anything, Arthur had been the one to deepen the kiss and hadn't been the one to pull away.

When the memory ended with the thief whispering a spell against his lips, Arthur blinked in the present day to find himself sat on the floor, the thief held firmly in his grasp. His breathing was deep and he could barely see straight, but one thing was for sure that he didn't need that memory. It made this entire situation a lot more complicated. How the thief had kept such a cool head about all this was beyond him. Just looking at him now Arthur could feel his heart beat faster in his chest and he would never admit it but that had been one hell of a kiss.

"Are you okay?" He asked Arthur with worry in his big blue eyes.

"Why did you make me forget?" Arthur replied with a question instead of answering.

"You saw who I was and knew how weak I would be, I couldn't risk you sending out the guards the next night with the knowledge that I couldn't escape easily. Besides, it was embarrassing."

"Just because it was embarrassing doesn't mean you make someone forget an entire night!" Arthur exclaimed and pulled the thief closer in anger, hating him for the spell he had used.

"You're hurting me," he moaned and tried to get away. At least in these situations Arthur had the upper hand. He had strength on his side whereas the thief didn't. "Arthur let go."

"No. Not until you explain what happened."

"You know what happened, the memories should be back, I didn't keep anything hidden from you." He explained and wrapped his hand around Arthur's, attempting to loosen his hold.

"The kiss. Explain the kiss. Why on earth would you kiss me?" Arthur watched as the thief blushed and dropped their gaze to the floor, hiding all signs of emotion from him. "Did you only do it because I would be forgetting a few moments later? Was I some experiment to you?" He shook the thief when he didn't answer, "Look at me and tell me."

"Please let go," came a small whisper beside Arthur and he looked to see the small light hovering there. "Let him go. Please." His hold released the thief who immediately shuffled back along the floor until he was hidden in the shadows. The light quickly followed and turned into a small person who lightly brushed the thief's hair from his face as he hugged his knees to his chest. "It's okay. You're okay."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean …" Arthur didn't understand what had just happened but clearly whatever he'd done had upset the boy in ways he couldn't imagine. He watched as the thief lifted his gaze from the floor to meet his, the small figure in front of him lighting up the blue eyes that Arthur knew he'd never forget, they looked so lost and venerable.

Arthur had always imagined the thief to be strong and wise, to never be afraid of anything. Night after night he had taunted the guards, daring them to give him a challenge, laughing if one of them dared threaten him with a weapon. Yet here he was, hiding in the dark when confronted by someone who meant him no harm, just simply wanted to know why he'd been kissed.

"Don't you think two people who have shared a kiss should be on a first name basis?" Arthur tried to lighten the mood and tilted his head a little to see the thief better in the light. "You already know mine."

"Tell him," came the small voice from before who was now back in a ball shape.

"Merlin," replied the thief and sat up a little straight. "My name is Merlin."


	8. Desiring The Touch of A Prince

**Hello to everyone reading this =) I hope you're all still enjoying it and I really appreciate all the reviews and story alerts. If you have any suggestions for the story then send a message my way, otherwise enjoy and review if you liked the chapter.**

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"Do you ever sleep?" Arthur's rough voice broke his thoughts and Merlin turned his head to see the Prince sitting up from where he had been sleeping.

"Of course I do," Merlin commented and looked back over Camelot. He'd been sat on the ledge of the hole in his wall and had been watching the streets below, noticing that the number of guards was increasing every night. Worry should be overwhelming him by now, it was getting harder every time he went out to return without notice and with Arthur getting stronger each day that passed, soon he would have to leave in fear that Arthur would share the knowledge of his whereabouts.

"Not once have I seen you sleep."

"Don't you worry your royal head about me Arthur, I can look after myself."

Merlin tensed as he felt a hand come on his shoulder and he turned to look up at Arthur who's expression was filled with concern. "Merlin, just because you can look after yourself doesn't mean you should have too. Maybe you just need someone to _tell _you to go to sleep."

"I'm not a child, you can't tell me to do anything." He crossed his arms in defiance but couldn't help but notice that he wore a smile on his face. Truth be told the concern made him happy. Just as he went to say something else a small gasp left his lips as Arthur lifted him easily into his arms, carrying him swiftly over to the bed with a triumphant smile on his own face.

"However I can _make_ you do things," Arthur lay him down on where he'd been sleeping previously and Merlin glared up at him. Ever since his injuries hadn't hurt when he moved, he took every opportunity to show how strong he was and carrying Merlin had become a favourite pass time apparently. Many times Merlin returned home to be lifted into the air as Arthur carried him over to the cushions to tell him where he'd been. He acted like a child with a toy. "Now sleep."

"You can't just place someone somewhere and expect them to suddenly sleep. Not all people can fall asleep within minutes," he stated and attempted to get up but was quickly pushed down.

"I'm not kidding Merlin, you need to get some sleep. If you're worried someone will come in, I'll keep watch, keep you safe for once." For someone who was meant to be capturing Merlin, Arthur looked very serious about keeping him safe. "Or maybe you need me to sing you a lullaby. Was that what your mum used to do?" Arthur teased and fell quiet when Merlin turned on his side so his back was to where Arthur knelt. "Merlin…I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter. You're right, I should get some sleep. No need to keep watch, I have alarms set up, they'll wake me if someone gets near." Merlin closed his eyes to give off the impression of going to sleep but with a gentle pull, Arthur had turned him so he was on his back. "I'm trying to sleep," he muttered.

"Why is it that whenever I bring up your past that you close up? We get on great when it's me telling stories of my childhood or you bragging about the many times you've escaped me. Was your past so terrible that it hurts to even talk about it?" Merlin opened his eyes to see Arthur looking down at him, there was no pity in his gaze like Merlin had feared, just curiosity.

"My past wasn't like yours Arthur. I didn't have a warm bed to retire too and I didn't have anyone to sing me a lullaby. You have so many people who love you back in that castle, the moment I tell you about my past you'll go back there, is it so wrong that for once I want-" Merlin froze before the words could leave his lips and he nibbled on his lower lip as he avoided Arthur's gaze.

"So wrong that for once you want what? What is it you want?" Arthur asked just like he did every time Merlin stopped mid sentence. He could never let anything go. Luckily Merlin wasn't one to give in to questions and most times Arthur ended up sulking because Merlin never answered.

Just as Merlin thought Arthur would start with more questions, he tensed up as a hand came out to brush the hair from his forehead, the Prince now tilting his head as he looked down at him. "I think that it is not the lullaby the want or the warm bed to come back too. I think you are lonely and have been dying for any kind of company, and I don't mean that light thing that you have around you constantly. It's the human contact," Arthur's hand dropped down to Merlin's cheek and his thumb lightly ran across his lips, "You desire any kind of touch that anyone will do."

"That's not true," Merlin whispered.

"Oh?" His heart rate increased as Arthur dipped his head down so they were mere inches away, "Then is it my touch you desire, Merlin? You don't want to tell me anything that might scare me away because there's a chance I'll stay here and-" Merlin watched as Arthur's gaze dropped to his lips, "-do what you did that dark night in the alley." It wasn't even a question. More of a fact that Arthur was pointing out.

"I didn't do anything," he lied.

"You're not a very good liar, did you know that?" Arthur teased and Merlin felt like he hadn't taken a breath in what seemed forever. Especially when the Prince's lips brushed lightly against his own. "However, if I remember right, you are one hell of a kisser."

"Arthur-" Merlin started but was cut off as Arthur sealed his lips with his own. At first his initial instinct was to push him off, he had always needed to be in control considering what had happened in his past and Arthur seemed to sense his fear since he pulled away. Only a little but enough to break the kiss. Once Merlin had taken a moment to breathe he realised that it was Arthur kissing him, he had nothing to fear, he wasn't … well he didn't mean Merlin any harm.

Grabbing the Prince by the scruff of the neck he pulled him down so to kiss him again, Arthur didn't even hesitate and without breaking the kiss he somehow managed to move himself so he was now hovering over Merlin with his entire body. Merlin didn't give Arthur the chance to think about what he was doing and deepened the kiss, his fingers now running through his hair to keep him exactly where he was. He shuddered as he felt a hand brush against his chest and travel towards his trousers, even with a mere touch at his waist line Merlin felt like nothing could stop him from getting what he desired.

Except the sound of one of his alarms going off in one of the nearby alleys he'd set up.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur hadn't even registered the alarm until a small shove came against his chest, pulling away he looked down at Merlin with confusion until he saw the worry on his face, to which he quickly moved aside so Merlin could get to his feet. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's found us." He tried to hide the small smile that came to his face as Merlin said _us. _

"What should we do?"

"We're gunna have to run," Merlin ran over to the cupboard and pulled out a small bag which he tied around his waist. He then ran over to the nail where his cloak hung up and was quickly tying it around his neck, the hood now up to cover his head.

"Run? I've only just begun to be able to walk with my injuries, you expect me to run now? I can't. You go, they won't hurt me if they get me, they will hurt you though." Arthur got to his feet with the expectation of saying goodbye to Merlin but instead was thrown a cloak of his own. One that was in slightly better condition to the one Merlin wore.

"Don't be a prat, I'm not leaving you here. Without me you'll die."

"Die is a little extreme Merlin. We may have gotten close but-"

"I mean literally die," Merlin stated without explaining and with a spell leaving his lips the belongings that had once surrounded them now vanished into thin air. "Come on, they're nearly here." He went to run past Arthur but was grabbed an instant later.

"Explain the dying part, right now."

"We don't have time for this!"

"Make time."

"You're not healed yet Arthur, the only reason you're even conscious is because I'm healing you every moment of the night and day. I've used magic to heal your organs, mend bones and seal wounds that should have gotten infected. The moment and I mean the _moment _you are too far away from me, I can't help you. You'll have to heal on your own and you're not ready for that yet. Not unless I cast a more powerful spell which wouldn't be wise right now."

"You've-"

Arthur was cut off by the sound of men talking nearby, the guards by the sounds of it and they were going to enter any moment now. Merlin grasped his hand and tugged him towards the gap in the wall, the entire of Camelot below their feet as they stood on the ledge. "Do you trust me?" Merlin asked him suddenly as Arthur gripped the edge of the wall beside him.

He looked at the sorcerer who was staring at him, Arthur knew that Merlin would know how to escape but it would mean Arthur listening to every order he gave, to trust that Merlin could get them out of this. "I trust you."

"Then I beg of you, do not scream." Suddenly Merlin pushed him forward and out of the building, Arthur's eyes widened as the roof of another building came towards him at full speed. What had Merlin been thinking? There was no way he could survive this fall. Not with all the trust in the world. "**Ácwínan**," Merlin yelled the spell from behind him and Arthur watched as the ceiling disappear. Revealing a pile of what he could guess was hay inside, at least he had a moment to see it before he crashed into it and then he struggled to find his way out.

Crawling out of the pile on his hands and knees, he spat out some pieces of hay. Merlin was quick to be at his side and help him to his feet. "You really push the trust to the limit," Arthur teased and Merlin took a moment to roll his eyes before leading him out of the nearest window onto yet another roof. How high up had Merlin's home been?

Arthur put a hand to his chest as they ran, his wounds beginning to bother him but he made no noise of complaint, Merlin didn't need the distraction. Glancing over his shoulder he saw some of the guards make it onto the tops of the buildings, all with swords in their hands and a look of determination on their faces Arthur knew he once wore. After spending the time he had with Merlin, nothing was simple anymore, how could he chase him night after night after everything that had happened.

"You're in pain," Merlin suddenly said. He hadn't even stopped their pace or looked back at Arthur. "It's just a little further. Keep going," the grip on Arthur's hand tightened as they leapt across a gap between buildings. The word's comforted him a little but as they made another sharp turn he felt a wound on his leg reopen and he fell to his knees from the pain, Merlin being quick to stop as Arthur's hand held him back. "Get up Arthur, it's not far, I swear. It's just-"

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. You're the Prince of Camelot, the head guard and I won't let you get taken from me." Arthur was pulled to his feet and dragged a few steps before they stopped. He looked up from where he stood to see the guards had caught up to them, all with weapons aimed at them and there was no obvious route to escape. "Damn it."

"Release the Prince or be killed where you stand," a guard yelled and Arthur knew there was no way out.


	9. Take What You Want

**Thanks for all the reviews =) I especially enjoyed reading the one about how people got chucked out of a library because of it, made me giggle to myself. **

**It's taken me longer than usual to figure out where the story is going next. I think even now I'm not sure what I want and will no doubt change this half way through writing it.**

**Enjoy and review if you liked it. **

**Thanks!**

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"I said let the Prince go!"

Merlin held onto Arthur's arm tightly and looked at the surrounding figures, all of which were heavily armed with weapons. Arthur could barely stand, the spell Merlin used had meant he'd heal slowly but Arthur hadn't been given enough time, not unless Merlin cast another spell that was more powerful.

"Merlin, run. My Father will kill you if he believes you kidnapped me," Arthur whispered and Merlin's grip tightened. He couldn't let Arthur go. Not yet. Not when things had just started to happen between them. For once he had someone to care about him in return, someone who laughed at his jokes and appreciated the little things Merlin did for him. "You know I'll slow you down. Be the thief I know you can be, run like the wind."

Suddenly an arrow was shot out from one of the crossbows and hit Merlin squarely in the shoulder, causing him to release his grip on Arthur and take a step back from the impact. He might have heard the yell coming from Arthur not to hurt him but all he saw was enemies, these people were here to take Arthur away from him and that wasn't going to happen.

"Take him," one yelled and pointed towards Arthur. That's when all hell broke loose.

One moment there had been dozens of guards approaching the two injured men, then there was suddenly a crowd of people fighting off the guards and little children coming to their sides. Merlin instantly recognised Freya and beamed at the sight of her, "What are you doing?"

"We heard them saying they thought they knew where you lived so we got word around that you might need help. So here we are," a man cut in and put Arthur's arm around his shoulder so to help him stand. "The children offered to come so you knew you were in safe hands. Come on, we have to go. We can't fight those guards off for long."

Merlin followed after the man who was helping Arthur and kept his eye on the children who ran near his feet, all with smiles on their faces from helping him. It seemed that the amount of food he'd given them was finally being paid back in some shape or form. Not that they had needed too but it was greatly appreciated.

Just as the man had helped Arthur down a ladder, Merlin heard a noise behind him and spun to face a guard who'd gotten free of the attack. He raised his sword towards the sky and Merlin raised his hand at the same time, the children around his legs cowering in fear. "**Bordrand**," the spell formed a shield around them and the guard was knocked out by his own sword as it rebounded from the impact.

He watched as the children clapped around him, as the people of Camelot fought off the guards he'd been running away from for years and the castle loomed in the background. As if it was watching over the very scene playing out. The moment was gone however when his vision became blurred and the blood from the arrow in his shoulder traveled down his arm and dripped off his fingers. Merlin really had to stop letting himself get injured like this, especially when it was all because of one man. One who he oddly felt like he'd known longer than a few days.

"Merlin!" Someone yelled below him and he couldn't have stopped himself even if he tried. His knees gave way beneath him and Merlin's body fell from the edge, sending him straight towards the hard ground. Merlin could only thank whoever was watching over him that he fell unconscious before he hit the ground because he knew that would have hurt like hell.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Good morning," Arthur said as he emerged from the room he'd been sleeping in. He could barely remember anything of last night apart from strangers had come to their recuse when Arthur had believed all was lost. Arthur could only guess that this was one of their homes.

"Sire," the family sat at the table got to their feet and bowed upon his arrival.

"Don't, there's no need to do that. Especially in your own home." He took a seat at the end of the table and looked at who he was with. There was a man who he recalled from last night, the one who'd helped him get away. A woman sat at his side who Arthur presumed was his wife and two little girls sat opposite them with smiles on their faces. "Thank you for helping us last night. It was greatly appreciated. I don't think we could have gotten away without you."

"We owe a great deal to Emrys," the man admitted as he poured Arthur a mug of water.

"Emrys?"

"The man you were with. Don't you even know his name?" Arthur frowned and looked at them all, this wasn't a joke. They all believed Merlin to be called Emrys. Unless that was his true name and Arthur had been told a lie. "I'm glad we were finally able to help him after all that he has done for us."

"What has he-"

The sound of children laughing cut their conversation short and Arthur went over to the window to see them running around in the street. Merlin amongst them. He was crouched down with his hands against the ground, a roar leaving his lips as he chased after the children, each squealing with delight when they managed to avoid his grasp. When one of the girls got caught, Merlin rolled onto his back and threw her into the air, catching her in his hands and feet like a beast playing with it's prey.

"The children have been missing him lately," the man's voice came behind him and Arthur turned his head a little to look at him in question. "Normally he comes here every morning, gives them some food and plays with them for a while. All of them get so excited and are up at the crack of dawn just to see him. Lately though he hasn't been turning up."

"That will be my fault, he's been looking after me, I was injured recently."

"You look fine to me."

Arthur frowned and stood straight, pushing back his clothing to see most of his wounds completely healed. Even the one on his chest was close to being gone, only a faint scar remained. He couldn't have healed that quickly by himself and Merlin had said it impossible to happen unless he cast another spell. His eyes narrowed and turned to look at Merlin, who he now noticed was looking rather pale. "That idiot!"

Going down the numerous stairs that got him down to ground level, Arthur stormed from the door and went over to where Merlin was playing dead. He grabbed him by the arm and pulled him swiftly to his feet in one quick movement. "You are an idiot! A complete and utter idiot. Did you not think I'd notice that I was fully healed?" Arthur hadn't but that wasn't the point. "Also the fact you look so pale that it looks like you'll pass out any second now?"

"Hey kids," Merlin turned his head and smiled down at the children who surrounded them. "I've hidden a treasure somewhere nearby, why don't you follow my friend and go look for it." Merlin's hovering light flew off and the kids quickly followed in search of the 'treasure'. "Now, start again, what are you getting so worked up about?"

"You healed me damn it! I know you were hurt yourself and that it must have cost you to heal me, probably why you look like death. You shouldn't have done it! Not now. Not ever. I was healing perfectly fine without your extra boost."

"Arthur, you weren't healing fine without that extra boost. That night strained your body too far and most of the damage that was done reappeared. I had to do something. Especially after two nights of you being unconscious."

"What?"

"Didn't Will tell you, you've been out for almost four days now, I feared you wouldn't wake up even after I helped you." Merlin put his hand over Arthur's and gently removed it so he was holding it instead. "So you're feeling better, no headaches or stomach pains?"

"I'm fine. Same can't be said about you … you shouldn't have done it." Arthur lifted his free hand and cupped Merlin's cheek softly to which a soft look came across Merlin's face, "What?"

"Nothing," Merlin muttered.

"You're not a very good liar, do you know that?" The question left his lips before he could stop himself, which was followed by both of them blushing at the memory of what had happened shortly after the last time it had been pointed out. "We should talk about what happened Merlin … that kiss-"

"Can we not?" Merlin moved away and Arthur instantly missed the contact. "It was late and we were both tired, it meant nothing."

"Bullshit. It meant something and you know it. I don't go around kissing just anyone."

"Not what I heard," Merlin muttered and crossed his arms.

"You think I kiss everyone I meet? That it doesn't matter who it is?"

"According to people you've been with almost every girl who's stepped foot in the castle. I'm no different."

"That's a lie and you know it!" Arthur glared at Merlin who now fell silent, who was glaring just as much but looking down the street instead, not meeting Arthur's gaze. "You're right, we should forget about it. Besides, nothing can happen. I'm the Prince and you're a thief, not exactly a match made in heaven." With that left hanging in the air he stormed back inside as the children ran towards Merlin with the light following behind. Let him be loved by everyone else, he didn't care, he'd be gone any day now anyway.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Silence. That's all that filled the night as the household slept in the different rooms.

Merlin was sat at the window, the fresh air comforting him as the day caught up to him, the realisation of not being able to go home was weighing on his mind. He felt trapped in the room he was made to sleep in. Especially with Arthur sleeping a meter from him. Neither had said anything since the scene outside that morning and when they'd gone to bed Arthur had put his back to Merlin instantly.

He hadn't bothered to sleep. There was no use. It had been a problem since he was little. You were at your weakest when fast asleep, anyone could take you and the darkness hid any threats during the night. When he did sleep it was lightly, in short bursts and during the day. He couldn't remember the last time he slept at night. It was probably why he took the food during the night, it wasn't because the night hid him well, it was because he was most awake at those hours.

"Seriously, you're still not sleeping?"

Looking sideways he saw Arthur propped up on his elbows, the blanket covering him was now around his waist and Merlin couldn't help but drop his gaze to Arthur's chest. "I thought you weren't talking to me? Especially since I'm a thief." The anger returned and he turned his gaze back to the street outside, ignoring the desire to walk over there and pick up where they left off back at home.

"Look I didn't mean-"

"You meant every word Arthur Pendragon. Go back to sleep, we have an early start if we're to get you back to the castle safely."

"I'm going back?"

Merlin nodded and crossed his arms. "You're fully healed and no longer need me around to get better, if you go home then Uther will lessen the guards searching Camelot at night and I can get out without being seen." His attention turned back to Arthur as he heard a quick movement and saw the Prince on his feet, taking the few steps it took to reach Merlin.

"You're leaving Camelot?"

"Of course I am! They know where I live, you know who I am and Uther will have me in chains the moment he knows where I am. I know a place a few leagues from here that I can stay at for a while until I find something more permanent," Merlin explained and tensed as Arthur looked so angry that he'd hurt Merlin any minute now.

"You ask for my trust and yet give none in return, don't you trust me enough to not let anyone hurt you?" Arthur demanded and Merlin slipped off the ledge so he was heading towards the door, clearly not comfortable with the conversation anymore. "Don't walk away from me!" Arthur was quick to press his hand to the door above Merlin's shoulder and stop him from opening it, the sound of it shutting loud enough to let Merlin know he wasn't going anywhere.

"You seriously think you can keep me in here?" Merlin spun to face him and leant back against the door, glaring up at him with anger. "With one word I can have you unconscious for days," his empty threat left his lips. He just hoped it was convincing enough for Arthur to believe.

"Go ahead," Arthur stepped back and opened his arms to the side as if making himself into a target. "Knock me out if you want. See if that makes a blind bit of difference to what's going on here. You're not running away from my Father. You're running away from _us_, what we could be."

"You were the one who said we could never be together. You're the Prince and I'm a common thief, simple as." Merlin could feel himself getting angrier, his hands at his sides were now fists and his breathing heavier as he tried to hold back his temper. "Don't you dare turn this around on me."

"Then stop being a pathetic little boy who doesn't admit to what he wants!"

Merlin was already going forward before the final words were said and Arthur braced himself for an attack, which came a simple shove against the nearest wall as Merlin's hands pressed against his chest. It was quickly followed with Merlin's lips pressing firmly against Arthur's, his body going against Arthur's as he held him against the wall. He had fully intended to show Arthur just how wrong he was, he wasn't pathetic, nowhere near.

Instead, in those couple of steps, he decided to show Arthur exactly what he _wanted._


	10. This Can Never Be

**Since this is the tenth chapter I think it's a good time to shout out to all you reviewers.**

**MirrorFlower and Darkwind, Ichigo kisses and Beizanten. You three have been reviewing **_**every**_** chapter and I really appreciate it =) Glad that I've managed to keep you interested.**

**Loopstagirl and sesshouluver. You two have reviewed most of my chapters so thank you! **

**I would go on and mention everyones name but that would take too long. So all I can say is THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed this story. As most people say, it's the reviews that keep the writers going.**

**A special mention is going out to zeza-66 who made my entire day by making a picture for this story in gratitude of fast updates. It's the sweetest thing and I didn't expect it at all! Thank you!**

**As for the people who now have detentions because of me, glad you're so dedicated XD Maybe start reading it at appropriate times so I don't get you in trouble? Otherwise who knows what comes after detention.**

**Anyway, you probably didn't even read that so on with the story! R&R if you like! **

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Arthur moaned against Merlin's lips as the boy worked his magic, his hands holding Arthur firmly at the waist as he pushed his body against his, the desire to take things further quickly alighting in both of them. He had thought when Merlin had come at him that he'd get punched for sure, instead Merlin had kissed him like his life depended on it and held him against a wall that was unlikely to give way. He began to feel uncomfortable with the fact Merlin was in control here, Arthur was always in control in every situation and didn't like this situation.

Doing the only thing he could think of, he pushed Merlin away using what little strength he possessed when desire coursed through him and looked at the boy who teasingly let his tongue run across his lips. How one person could be so tempting was unreal. He'd been with a a lot of women, not as many as his reputation let one but enough that he had plenty of experience. When it came to guys, he had none. Merlin was the first man to ever tempt him past a kiss, the only one who with a single look made Arthur feel naked and most likely the only person to exist who didn't bore him after a few hours.

Merlin hooked a finger on his trousers and pulled him closer, his eyes never leaving Arthur's as he felt the drawstring being untied at his waist. "We shouldn't be doing this," Arthur whispered as he thought about how his Father would react if he knew about this. To know that Arthur had been with a thief, a male one at that, who was also a sorcerer, would probably ruin any chance of him becoming King. Morgana would take the throne and he would be disowned in the blink of an eye.

However, his doubts slowly ebbed away as Merlin dipped his head and pressed his warm lips to Arthur's neck. His teeth lightly nipping at his skin to tease him and Arthur felt his knees weaken, how could a simple touch make him feel like this? Like he had no control over his body or emotions. Even as Merlin blew against his ear Arthur knew he was doomed, there was no way he could walk away from this, from _him_.

"No, we shouldn't. Do you really want to stop though?" Merlin didn't give him a chance to answer because the next second Arthur felt his body shudder from the cool breeze that came from his trousers being removed. Merlin hadn't even moved his hands that now trailed across his chest. He was using magic and Arthur couldn't help but wonder what else his magic could do to him. "All you have to do is tell me to stop and I will my Prince."

Did he seriously think Arthur was capable of words when as he said it Merlin dropped his hand to wrap around Arthur's erection? The answer was no. Instead Arthur let out another small moan and grabbed onto the small table that was randomly placed against a wall, he cared little for why it was there. He was only thankful it was there because otherwise he'd be a mess on the floor right now.

As Merlin worked his hand up and down, Arthur opened the eyes that he hadn't realised were closed to see Merlin smiling at him. He didn't want that smile to be there. It was the smile _he _wore when he knew he was in control of the situation. His Father had always taught him to be in control, no matter what happened, as control meant power of another. Arthur was the Prince of Camelot. No one should be able to control him. It was bugging him enough that he opened his mouth to protest to what Merlin was doing but his breath was stolen when Merlin covered his lips with his own, showing him that although Arthur didn't have control, he shouldn't stop them.

When Arthur could barely breathe from Merlin's kiss, his little thief got down onto his knees and took Arthur into his mouth. Once he'd done that Arthur thought nothing more on the matter of control, let Merlin have it, he knew how to use control to satisfy them both.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Merlin lay beside Arthur silently as the man slept, a small smile on each of their faces and even now Merlin could remember the moans Arthur had made. Arthur had managed to come twice with the help of Merlin's mouth and hadn't protested when Merlin had told him to go back to sleep. He didn't need Arthur to satisfy him, the fact Arthur had even let him do it was enough and besides, Merlin wasn't ready yet.

Feeling the grip around his waist tighten, Merlin smiled even more and snuggled his body against the Prince's sleeping form. His body was so warm, Merlin had never felt such warmth and the fact he would never feel it again saddened him. Soon enough he would have to wake Arthur so they could get safely back to the castle, Merlin would help him get to his room and then he'd leave. Never looking back at the person who he knew could make him happy.

He'd never had a person who could make him feel like Arthur did. Without even trying he brought a smile to Merlin's face and made him forget about his horrible past in the blink of an eye. How could he give that up?

Sighing quietly, Merlin gently moved Arthur's arm away from him and sat up so he could see the window. Another night had been and gone with no sleep. His companion had drifted in and out of the room during the dark hours, telling him about what was going on in Camelot outside these four walls. Apparently the guards had been searching some of the houses, mostly around the outskirts where the poorer residents lived, getting nowhere near where they were.

Merlin suddenly tensed as soft lips pressed against his exposed shoulder from his top being torn and relaxed when an arm came around his waist. The Prince now awake from his slumber. "What does a guy have to do to get you to sleep?" Arthur asked quietly as he rested his chin on Merlin's shoulder.

"Not snore maybe?"

"I don't snore!" Arthur claimed and glared sideways at Merlin from where he was. "Do I?"

"I guess you'll never know." Merlin laughed as Arthur pulled him back down onto the blankets and hovered over him with affection in his eyes. The look was enough to make him fall quiet and lift his hand so he gently cupped Arthur's face. "You're very cute when you sleep."

"Cute? I'm not cute! Handsome more like. Cute is something you call girls," Arthur claimed and dropped himself so he was lying on Merlin. His face a few inches from his own. A few minutes passed where neither of them talked, both just stared at each other, wondering what should be said about what happened last night. "Look about last-"

"When you said-"

"You go first."

"No, you go. You are the Prince after all," Merlin teased and waited for Arthur to speak.

"Alright …" there was a brief pause before Arthur's smile faded. "Last night was … amazing. It's something I'll never forget …"

"But?" _Please don't let there be a but._

"I was right this morning. Me and you could never work. My Father needs me to marry a princess to form bonds with surrounding Kingdoms, I'll need an heir to take over the throne and a Queen at my side. I mean, he's paying to have you captured, not have you sharing my bed. If he heard about us he'd lock you away or banish you from Camelot. I don't want that to happen to you."

"So you'd rather I remain a thief and pretend this never happened?"

"No," Arthur cupped his face and pressed a light kiss to his lips. "_This _happened. It just can't happen again. I am grateful for everything you have done for me, I owe you my life and will one day repay you. I just can't be the guy you share a bed with, you know? I'm the future King. My rightful place is on the throne."

Merlin looked up at him and could see that Arthur meant him no harm, that he was just trying to be honest. So why did the truth hurt so much? He felt like his heart was being sliced into tiny pieces and that it could never be repaired. Merlin had done the one thing he promised he'd never do again and this was the consequence. He should have learnt from his past mistakes by now.

"Merlin, please don't look at me like I'm a monster, you know if I had a choice I'd have you by my side." No, he wouldn't. They'd barely been together a few days, Arthur wouldn't change his life for Merlin, no matter he thought. "Say something," he whispered and pressed another kiss to Merlin's lips.

Putting on a smile, Merlin tilted his head to the side and looked up at him. Hoping his act would fool the Prince. "I get it. It's fine. I was going to say the same thing anyway. Camelot needs you more than I do, I get that, honestly it's fine. I'm fine." Why did Merlin suddenly hate the word fine? Gently pushing Arthur off him, he got to his feet and looked down at him. "We should get going. The sun is rising and the guards will be awake soon. It's time we got you home."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur felt like the biggest jerk in the world as he followed after Merlin. He might be trying to hide it but Merlin had been hurt from what Arthur had said. No matter how he worded it, he was always bound to get hurt. Now they were heading back to the castle after saying goodbye to the family they'd been staying with. Merlin had talked to Will privately before they left, to which a quick nod was given and a wave farewell exchanged.

Merlin hadn't spoken to him since they left, Arthur liked to think it was because they had to be quiet, somehow he knew that wasn't true. In a few minutes they'd go back to being a Prince and thief. No longer would he open his eyes to see Merlin cooking something over a small fire or that goofy smile that appeared when Arthur told him another tale of how he'd defeated a beast. It was like he was losing a best friend he never really had.

"We're almost there, copy exactly what I do, understand?" Merlin looked back over his shoulder and Arthur nodded, finding he couldn't talk. What was there to say? Sorry. You have to let me go back. Stay with me. Leave Camelot so I know your safe. Everything contradicted itself.

Before he knew it, Arthur was stood in his bedroom that felt foreign and cold. The stone walls made the room look ten times bigger and the furniture was so dark compared to the bright colours Merlin had in his home. Looking over at Merlin, he saw him stood in the shadows as he waited for the guards to change their shifts, it would be his only chance to get away.

"I guess this is it then …" Arthur managed to whisper and Merlin frowned, not replying in anyway. "No final words to say to me? No, I'll see you during the nights when you chase me?"

"What is there to say, Arthur? It'll only make things more hard."

Arthur couldn't bare to have him leave, the thought of not seeing him tore his heart apart and he was going towards the dark figure a moment later. Pulling Merlin into his arms, Arthur pressed his lips passionately to his and smiled when he felt Merlin's fingers run through his hair. That small touch was enough to make him forget where they were and he pulled Merlin towards the bed that had been empty for days, neither breaking apart as Arthur pushed Merlin onto the soft sheets without a second thought.

He felt Merlin already going to remove his shirt when there was the sound of approaching footsteps coming from outside his door. Arthur got to his feet quickly, which was quickly followed with Merlin dashing for the window and then half a dozen guards appeared in his room. All with swords pointed at Merlin who backed towards the balcony.

Going between them, he held out his hands and looked at his old friends. "Don't hurt-" no other words left his lips as a knife was pressed against his throat, Merlin's body now pressed against his back as he held Arthur firmly by the arm. What was he doing?"

"Take another step and I'll kill him," came a voice that Arthur barely recognised. Merlin began dragging him backwards and every time Arthur attempted to move away the knife drew blood from his skin. "Keep moving Pendragon," Merlin whispered until there was nowhere else to go.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"Playing my part," Merlin replied and then the knife was gone. Spinning on the spot Arthur looked at the only way Merlin could have gone. Down. Leaning over, he saw no sign of his friend below, which he should have considering how bare the courtyard was.

"Search the grounds! Find him!" Sir Leon yelled from behind Arthur and joined him in searching the view. Arthur felt worry consume him at the thought Merlin could get hurt as he escaped, fear then followed at the thought Merlin wouldn't come back, that he would leave Camelot for good. "Are you alright Sire? Did he hurt you?"

"I honestly don't know," Arthur replied and returned to the empty room behind him. This place didn't feel like home anymore and he had a feeling it never would without Merlin by his side.


	11. Branded By A Master

**I'm sorry yesterdays chapter was uploaded twice, there was one tiny mistake that had been bugging me and I **_**had**_** to change it. It isn't even noticeable if you didn't know it was there.**

**Yes I've just uploaded this twice because peanutmeg pointed out another mistake which would bug me XD**

**Anyway thanks for the reviews again =) Glad everyone enjoyed that chapter**

**Now on with the story where our two lovers can no longer see each other *sad face***

**You also get to see a bit of Merlin's past in this one!**

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"_Tell me Merlin, what do you feel when I touch you here?" The deep voice asked as he lightly trailed his fingers across Merlin's chest._

_Merlin squeezed his eyes closed as the older man touched him in places he shouldn't. He was not strong enough to fight back, too weak to even attempt any kind of defence and his body didn't feel like his own. Not since he'd been told as a slave to this man. _

"_Do you wish to be touched more?" He asked and Merlin's hand went out as the man went to remove his trousers, there was no way he was going that far. The man grabbed Merlin's wrist and got to his feet, holding Merlin easily in the air as he struggled to get free. "You think to stop your master from doing as he pleases?"_

"_You are not my master!"_

"_I own you boy. I bought you for a fair amount and that means you do as I command. When I ask a question you answer it, when I do something you don't fight back and you certainly do not strike your master. Am I clear?"_

"_I belong to no one. I am not an object to be bought."_

"_Everyone is owned by someone, no matter who they are. You belong to me."_

"_I will never belong to you or anyone else."_

"_I hardly see that happening. You are a young boy who needs people like me in order to survive. No mother or father, no skills, you would die within days if you were out in the real world." Merlin was thrown through the air to land on the huge bed his 'master' had, the sheets so soft that Merlin had never felt such luxury and that small thought distracted him enough to not notice the man get chains from under his bed._

_Merlin went to leap from the bed, find anything to defend himself, yet his foot was caught and he was dragged back. His limbs one by one chained up to the bed posts as he struggled against the man's hold. "You are mine Merlin. Always will be. No matter where you go, what you do, I will always find you."_

"_I'm not afraid of you. I'll escape, no one can keep me trapped."_

_A yell left his lips as he was stripped of his clothes, which was muted when the man stuffed his mouth with something and smiled down at him eagerly. "You and me, Merlin, we're going to have a lot of fun. First, I need to brand you like I do all my slaves." _

_Merlin watched as he went over to his fireplace and picked up a metal rod with a stamp on the end, which was put into the fire to heat up. He knew exactly what he did to his slaves. Rumors had gone through the boys captured before they were sold off and no one wanted to be bought by him. Merlin had been the unlucky one._

_As the man approached him Merlin fought for freedom, spitting out the material in his mouth and he glared as his 'master' climbed up onto the bed. "If you touch me I'll make you regret it. I swear."_

"_Swear all you want Merlin. You are no threat to me."_

_An ear piercing scream left Merlin's lips as the hot iron stamp was pressed against his thigh, the metal melting away his flesh and it felt like it was burning his soul. He fought the man for hours, no matter how many times he was branded he never gave in, never let his new master touch him in an intimate way._

"_I'll break you yet Merlin. Just give it time."_

Merlin woke up screaming, his hand pressed to his chest as his heart rammed against his ribs and the sweat dripped over his body as his scream faded. Breathing heavily, he tried to ignore the fear he felt and squeezed his eyes shut as the pain resurfaced.

When he eventually calmed down he opened his eyes, finding himself in the nearest thing he could call a home and he looked sideways to see the castle in the view. He was fine. He wasn't trapped on that bed with only chains touching his skin, there was no man torturing him every night and there definitely wasn't a fireplace in the room. Merlin was safe.

"Did you dream of him again?"

"Don't I always?" Merlin whispered back to his companion and sat up, the blanket that covered him now fell around his waist to reveal the brand marks covering his skin. This was why he never slept. Every time he closed his eyes he was reminded why he was living on the streets, why he feared human contact and talking about how he felt.

Night after night his master had demanded to know how he felt when he did certain things. Watched for a reaction if he did something different. The brands were simply used if Merlin fought against him. Some nights he ended up crying because of the pain as the number of brands on his skin increased significantly in one night.

"Which night did you dream of?"

"The first night he …" his touch went to his thigh where the oldest brand lay. The newest brands he'd received when he escaped had been healed by his magic, the older ones however were too deep and would forever remain a part of him. "If I can make others forget then why I can't I do it to myself?"

"Merlin, you make people forget a few hours. If you made yourself forget … that would be years and who knows what it would do to you. That's most of your childhood gone."

"I'd rather forget then live with what happened."

"It made you stronger."

"Stronger how exactly? Yes, because of what happened, I can move faster then anyone, anticipate what someone will do from a simple look and cast spells that most sorcerers spend decades learning. It's only because I _had _to learn fast, had to be quick on my feet and the fact I can anticipate things is because I watched my master closely so I knew what he would do next."

"He is not your master. You are a free man."

"As free as a thief can be anyway."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You shall not be joining the patrol tonight Arthur, that is final."

"Father, I am well enough to go out and I promise I won't get caught again. I shall catch the thief like I always said I would," Arthur said as he stood at the end of the throne room.

"That thief caught you once and he'll do it again. I won't risk it. You are my heir to the throne and I won't let you be taken again."

"Let me prove to you that he won't. I'll go out and will come back unharmed," he pleaded. He wasn't intending to bring Merlin back, Arthur just needed to see him, to talk to him. To kiss him. It had only been one night since he had returned and already he was sick of everything in the castle. Everything was dark and all the rules made him feel confined. Arthur wanted to be running about the rooftops and living in a place where there wasn't a wall but a huge window to look out at the stars.

"I said no. You will stay inside the castle walls."

Arthur was walking out of the castle grounds a few minutes later after escaping his room. He would not be kept in here whilst Merlin was being hunted like an animal.

Draping the cloak around his shoulders, he pulled up the hood and kept to the shadows as he went towards where Merlin lived. He just hoped he was still there. Three times he avoided the guards, all calmly walking the streets without their Prince to find or ordering them around. If he'd discovered this before he knew Merlin, he would have had the guards in the stocks for slacking off, now he was just grateful.

Just as he turned a corner he saw a figure leap across the roofs of the building either side of him and he smiled. Only one man he knew could do that. Running towards a smaller building, Arthur managed to hoist himself onto the roof and he chased after the dark figure. "Merlin!" He hissed but was too quiet to be heard, he didn't want any of the guards hearing him and apparently neither could Merlin.

Arthur chased him for a while, noticing that Merlin never once stopped or slowed down. He was on top form and heading straight for home by the looks of it. Which was perfect in Arthur's eyes. No one would find them there that was for sure.

When Merlin finally went through the window into his home, Arthur followed and was met by an outstretched hand with magic licking the fingertips. "Who are you?" Merlin spat at him and only when Arthur remove his cloak did he visibly relax. His arm dropped to his side and his body was no longer tense.

"Merlin-"

"You shouldn't be here Arthur."

"I beg to differ. This is _exactly_ where I should be," Arthur went forward and grabbed Merlin around the waist. The young boy dropped the bag he'd been carrying and didn't need prompting to wrap his arms around Arthur's neck as their lips met. He had meant to talk to Merlin, explain to him that there was a way for him to be an unwanted man. However the moment he saw those big blue eyes he couldn't help but feel desire for him, the need to touch him so demanding that he hadn't fought his urges.

Merlin wasn't exactly fighting his urges either as he pulled Arthur's top clean over his head, his hands now running down his back and playing with the hem of his trousers. The sound of something outside however was enough to bring Merlin to his senses and he pushed Arthur away, his hand against Arthur's chest the only thing keeping them apart as they both breathed deeply.

"We can't … You need to go."

"Why can't we? I want you. You want me. Don't try to deny it, you couldn't keep your hands off me just now and I bet you've been thinking about me." Arthur put his hand over the one pressed against his chest, stepping closer to Merlin who looked at him with fearful eyes. Why was he scared? It was just him and Arthur here. "Are you scared about how you feel?"

"I don't feel anything," Merlin whispered and moved away. His back now turned to Arthur as he walked over to his bed and sat down, his head in his hands as the cold night breeze blew over them. Arthur slowly walked over to the quiet thief and crouched down, gently running his hand through his hair.

"That's a lie Merlin, I know you better than that. Answer me this, would you feel sad if I died tomorrow?" A small nod came in response, "Would you be angry if I told my Father where you lived?" Another nod. "Those are feelings. You can't deny them any more than I can deny my feelings for you."

Arthur knew his Father would be mad when he found out about his escape, but it didn't matter, he had finally found someone who cared about him for _him_ and not his status. "The guards will be looking for you … you should go," Merlin whispered as his hands tightened on his head.

"Do you want me to go?"

"No," came a quick response and Merlin lifted his gaze to meet Arthur's. "If I could, I'd never let you leave this room."


	12. Happy Pretense

**Don't know whether it's just me but apparently I got no hits or visitors for my latest chapter, yet somehow got reviews … suspicious.**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews! **

**I think this will be my last chapter for a few days so enjoy it whilst you can! It's short because I'm tired and really need to get some rest. Apologies and I promise the next one will be one of the best =) Oh and before you complain that Arthur doesn't stick up for Merlin, that will be explained in next chapter so don't yell at me *whimpers* **

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Uther watched from the sidelines as Arthur trained with the guards, mostly on ways on how to capture a person or hold someone down should they try to flee. However his Son wasn't his usual strict angry self. No, completely the opposite in fact. He was … dare he say it … smiling.

He had never seen his Son happier. Even the guards had been whispering about how they actually looked forward to going out on patrol because it wasn't as intense or stressful. Apparently Arthur wasn't seen for most of the night and would return happier than before. Something was going and he would find out.

One way or another.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur entered through the small arch to enter Merlin's home and smiled when he was greeted with the sight of Merlin cooking him a meal. For some reason food always tasted so much better when he cooked it and Arthur rarely ate his dinner back at the castle because of it. Instead he waited until the nights when he'd visit Merlin.

It had been a week since he'd started these late night trips. Arthur told the patrol he wanted to search the streets of Camelot alone, in hope of surprising the thief, but instead came here to spend time with Merlin. It was funny, they didn't even do anything that both of them desired, mostly they talked about anything that came to mind. It was just so easy to talk to Merlin that Arthur found he rambled on about the oddest of things.

"Hey, something smells delicious." Hanging up his jacket, Arthur went over to sit at the table where Merlin was serving the food, a smile on his face.

"Hey yourself. I got some chicken in specially, you said it was your favourite."

"Awww thanks," Arthur took a sip of water from the mug provided and watched Merlin as he bent down to put out the fire with magic. That was something Arthur would always enjoy watching from now on. At first the magic had been a little off putting since Arthur didn't know what to expect but slowly he got used to it and now he couldn't imagine Merlin without it.

Abandoning the food he slipped off his seat and walked up to stand behind Merlin who was now stood as he waited for the last remaining flames to simmer out. Wrapping his arms around the slender boys waist, he pulled him back against his chest and pressed a light kiss to his neck. "How about we just skip dinner?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. You haven't eaten," Merlin brushed him off and walked towards the table. Arthur, being as stubborn as he normally was, grabbed his hand and pulled him back to face him.

"You haven't touched me all week, is something wrong?"

"Yes, I have," Merlin averted his gaze.

"Not intimately you haven't. Have I done something to upset you?" Merlin shook his head and pushed Arthur away, looking around for an excuse to change the subject. Arthur knew the signs. It had been happening all week. "Merlin, it's me. You can talk to me. If you don't I'll just get your light ball thing to tell me."

"It wouldn't."

"You'd be surprised what that thing tells me. I know that you've moved around a lot in your life, visited places many wouldn't dream of going and met so many people that not many could call you a stranger." A look of panic covered Merlin's face.

"What else has it told you?"

"Not much else. Nothing of this past you clearly don't want me to know about and until you start sharing things Merlin, this can never work. Maybe that's why you won't tell me. You don't want this to work, it's your way out of this relationship." Arthur went over to the hung up jacket and grabbed it, "I should go. This clearly was a bad idea from the start."

He was already half way out the door when a hand grabbed the back of his jacket, stopping him from taking another step and Arthur glanced over his shoulder to see Merlin staring intently at his back. Arthur dropped his hand from the drape that normally covered the hole that was meant to be a door and stepped back into the room, slowly being led by the shaking hand that belonged to Merlin.

When they were stood by his 'bed' and Arthur was released from Merlin's hold, the thief began to slowly remove the scarf that always remained around his neck. Next came his brown jacket and then his blue top. Arthur didn't understand at first why he was shaking so badly, it was only when his eyes landed on the marks on his skin did he realise what Merlin was afraid of, or better yet, _who _he was afraid of.

He bore the mark of Cedric. A well known slave buyer who tortured the children he bought in order to train them to be the servants every person dreamt of. Someone who obeyed every order, did everything precisely and never was disloyal. He was also known for sexually abusing them. Many didn't live past the first few years in his service.

"Merlin-"

"I am someone who has been made to do things no man should ever have to do, I have seen things that no one should ever witness and most of all, I am the only person to have ever escaped him. If _anyone _knew I was here, he'd come after me, especially after what I did to him." His gaze met Arthur's, "Can you now see why this can never be? He owns me, no matter who I try to fool and if he hears that you know me, he'll use you to get to me."

Merlin went to grab his top from the floor but Arthur had already brought him into his arms, holding him tightly in the embrace and hiding his head in his neck to hide the fact he looked so angry. How dare someone make Merlin feel so scared to being close to someone that he hid himself away in the shadows. "I don't care if he uses me. He won't get to you again. If you are owned by anyone, let it be me. He can challenge me for all I care."

"I care. I care if he challenges you. He's not normal Arthur, he can do things … make you think things about yourself, make you doubt your own abilities." Merlin put a hand to Arthur's chest and pushed him away a little so Arthur met his gaze, "You may be a Prince but he's had years at manipulating people. He'd have you telling him my whereabouts in minutes."

"Well he'll never know you're here because no one but me does and I'm not going to tell a soul about you. I like having you to myself. My own little magical secret."

"Arthur I'm covered in scars-"

"I will heal every scar you possess, physically and mentally. You are not alone anymore. I promise."

Arthur must have looked like he meant it because Merlin was throwing his arms around his neck a moment later and kissing him like Arthur was the air he breathed. Both knew where tonight would end and neither pulled back. Arthur wanted this. Merlin wanted this. There was nothing else to think about.

Dropping Merlin down onto the blankets spread out, he made sure his head was resting against a pillow as he began to slowly press kisses down his chest, making sure to go over every mark he could find. Each time his lips passed a deeper wound, Merlin let out a deep moan that made Arthur smile, encouraging him to repeat this action many times.

He didn't care that he'd be late to meet up with his patrol. Didn't care about how his Father would react if the day ever came that he found out. Merlin was all that mattered right now.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

_Bang._

Merlin heard the faint sound of something being bashed down but the way Arthur's lips were moving down towards his bulge in his trousers made him ignore the sound and arch his body slightly in response.

_Smash._

Now the sound of something breaking and Merlin turned his head sideways to look towards where the sound was coming from. Except he didn't see a stray cat or a wild mouse running around his home breaking things, instead his eyes focused on one man stood in his doorway. Uther Pendragon.

"Arthur!"

The body that was previously pressed against him was off in an instant and Arthur looked at his Father with shock, stepping away from Merlin as Uther approached. Merlin grabbed his top and pulled it over his head, hoping it was dark enough in the room that his entire appearance wasn't seen. However that idea was broken when he was grabbed by the arm and pulled to his feet, dragged into the light from the moon shining in through the window.

"You are the thief we've been looking for?"

Merlin remained silent. He didn't understand. His alarms hadn't gone off. He had so many set up that it was impossible to avoid them unless you took a distinct route. Only himself and Arthur knew this route. His head turned to the side to see Arthur stood there, adjusting his top that had ridden up slightly from before.

"Don't look at him you disgusting thief! Look at me. Tell me who you are."

"I don't think so Uther. I'm no ordinary thief," Merlin whispered and his eyes flashed golden as the spell was cast. Nothing happened. The King remained in front of him with a firm grasp and the guards surrounded them with all their weapons. They should have been disarmed and knocked out.

"I know a sorcerer when I see one and unlike you, I have friends who can help me. Your magic won't do anything. Not whilst I'm here. So, lets start again. Who are you?"

"Your Son could tell you that, he's been coming here every night and knows exactly who I am."

"Don't you think I know that? You do you think convinced him to talk to you and lead me here? My Son is loyal to his family and someone like you couldn't change that." Uther's grip tightened and Merlin suddenly felt something wrapping around his hands. Looking down he saw a silver chain that when he struggled only tightened further. Magic. Uther had a powerful sorcerer working for him.

"Arthur wouldn't do that."

"I don't see him sticking up for you now," Merlin looked at Arthur who remained looking at the floor. Not even attempting to defend him. "Maybe a night in the cells will help you remember who you are. I believe most of the people you'll be sharing with are people who helped you escape all those nights ago."

Uther threw Merlin to the ground and a couple of the guards came to drag Merlin away. He didn't struggle. There was no point. All he did was stare at Arthur as they pulled him away. The Prince didn't utter a word and remained where he stood with his Father as Merlin was taken to the castle. Only when he throne in the cell did Merlin know that Uther was right.

_Arthur had betrayed him._


	13. Empty Cell, Empty Heart

**Thank you for the reviews guys. I just re-read it and there are a few mistakes, but I don't want to re-upload it and confuse people. So sorry for anyone who finds mistakes REALLY annoying XD**

**Enjoy this next chapter and R&R if you like! I have literally re-written this 10 times because I couldn't decide what to do. I hope I made the right decision.**

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Arthur looked out of his window with anger filling him. After his father had ordered the servant to stop digging a knife into his back, he'd told the guards to escort him back to his bedroom where he'd remained for the rest of the night and most of the following day. No word about Merlin and no word about what was going to happen.

His Father hadn't even commented about what Arthur had done. Which was worse than him yelling, it meant he was angry, _really_ angry. "I don't care …" he muttered. Except he did. All his life he'd grown up trying to make Uther proud, in some shape or form, but nothing he did was ever good enough. This was probably the worse thing he could ever do in his Father's eyes.

Maybe he should just forget about Merlin. Be the Prince everyone wanted him to be. Everything would be easier that way.

However he knew he could never just _forget_ about Merlin. Everything reminded him of Merlin. The moon, the view across Camelot, his bed … god just looking at his bed made him moan in annoyance that he wasn't with Merlin right now. Even his goofy smile made desire course through him. To never see that again … it would break him.

No. He wouldn't forget Merlin. Instead he'd help him escape Camelot and Arthur would go with him. Morgana could have the throne. Grabbing his jacket, Arthur slid it on as he went for the door, knowing exactly where Merlin would be.

Except when he opened his bedroom door he found three guards stood there, with their backs turned, not budging when Arthur tried to push past them. "Excuse me," Arthur said and Sir Leon turned to look at him.

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere."

"And I'm afraid that, if you do not move, I'll make you move."

"You can try Sire but we're under strict orders to keep you here whilst … the King attends to something."

"What could be so important that I have to be kept in here?"

Leon looked down at the ground and then sighed, "He is giving his verdict on the thief Sire."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You have betrayed your King. By the laws of Camelot, I must sentence you to death. You will be purged of magic by the means of fire You will be burnt at the stake tomorrow at dawn, bare witness and head this lesson."

"You kill those that do not see what you see. You use those who fear death. You condemn any who stand in your way. If you honestly believe that burning me at the stake will send a warning out to those who strike against you, think again. It will only fuel their hatred."

"Take him away."

Merlin was lifted by his arms and dragged backwards towards the door, a smile remained on his face. "I warn you Uther Pendragon that I cannot be killed. I've faced far worse than you and lived. You do not scare me. I pity those who do. You think the sorcerers on your side have any power over me? Just you wait! When I get free and believe me I will, you'll regret ever making your Son do anything towards me. Paybacks a bitch!"

However when the night came Merlin knew that it was unlikely he'd escape. His hands were in shackles above his head, he was stuck in a dark cell that not many occupied during the year and it didn't look like he'd get any food for energy tonight.

Slamming his head back against the wall he cursed the shackles that seemed to prevent him from using magic. Everything he had tried, failed. No matter how much he struggled, they would become no looser. He would rot in here for his remaining few hours alive and then be taken outside to burn at the stake. With the entire Kingdom watching.

Would Arthur be there though?

His hands clenched into fists at the thought of seeing Arthur again. Especially when he would know just how weak Merlin felt when he couldn't use magic.

How could Arthur betray him like that? After everything Merlin had done for him. What he'd gone through to make sure Arthur lived. He'd spent days casting a spell to keep Arthur alive, it had taken its tole on Merlin and he'd let his guard down during this weak time. He could never imagine hurting Arthur, betraying him in such a way, especially after Arthur had told him to trust him.

"Idiot. He's the Prince. I must have looked so stupid to him," he muttered and looked up towards the small window that was near the ceiling of the cell. He could see the moon from here. The last view of the moon he'd ever see.

No. He refused to be killed this way. He'd survived too much and lived through enough that this was a piece of cake. Merlin just had to concentrate. Closing his eyes, Merlin ignored the first image he saw of the Prince smiling at him and cleared his mind. Searching for the answer he needed to escape this hell hole once and for all.

When no idea came to mind he sighed, "I'm a fool."

"You're only a fool if you give up boy," a deep voice came from nearby and Merlin turned his head to find he wasn't as alone as he thought he was. A man was sat up against a wall in one of the darkened corners and only now visible as he moved into the small bit of light available.

"Who are you?"

"A lowly prisoner like yourself but together, perhaps we can become more." The man was more visible now and Merlin saw it was an older man with a walking stick. Why he was in here Merlin didn't know. Most people who ended up in this cell normally were sorcerers or due to be executed the next day. This was their final resting place in a way.

"I'm listening."

"There is a tomb, boy. An amazing tomb filled with treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Treasure's enough to impress your Prince I'd wager."

"They said only a Princess-"

"You've heard of the golden rule haven't you? Whoever has the gold makes the rules."

"So why would you share all this wonderful treasure with me?"

"I need a young pair of legs and a strong back to go in after it." He came over and tapped the shackles holding Merlin's wrists, they immediately released and Merlin rubbed the raw skin when they fell. So he was a sorcerer and had found a way to break out of his own shackles. Now Merlin was half way to being free.

"Err, one problem. It's out there, beyond these walls, we're in here."

"Things aren't always what they seem." He prodded the cell wall with his walking stick and some of the bricks moved away, revealing a hidden passage through the walls that could take them to freedom. A smile came to his lips. Merlin would get that treasure. He would show Arthur exactly what he'd given up by betraying him. Then finally Merlin would leave this place forever and find a place to settle down with the treasures he got.

He'd finally have enough to live a life without crime. Merlin could finally be free.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur tied his sheets together and attached one end to the bed, the other end throne over his balcony so he could climb down from his room. If his father wouldn't let him leave the room by the door then Arthur would get out his own way.

He'd already been told Uther's verdict. Merlin had been sentenced to death as Arthur suspected.

He wouldn't let that happen though. Merlin didn't deserve to die and hadn't done anything wrong. He'd been hungry and had taken food only from those who had plenty to spare, at least that's what Merlin had told him when he had asked one night where he got it from.

The plan was to go down to the cell, help Merlin escape using his keys and he would return to his bed where he'd wake up confused when the alarm bell went off. His Father wouldn't suspect him that way and Arthur could pretend to help search for the thief, however instead meet up with Merlin on the boarders and leave. It was a good plan. A solid plan. One that couldn't go wrong.

Grabbing onto the sheets, he tugged to make sure the bed could hold him and then dropped over the edge. Finding that he went rather quickly if he didn't hold on and soon enough he was on the ground. Luckily tonight no guards were out since the thief had been caught, most of them could be found sitting around, waiting for their night shift to be over.

Arthur was quick to slip through a passageway that was used by the servants to get to the lower rooms of the castle and he was almost at the cell before he could take a breath. Upon arrival he peered around the corner to see two guards at the door, both chatting amongst themselves and ignoring the presence of their Prince.

"Excuse me," Arthur said and casually strolled towards them. "I want a word with the thief."

"But Sire-"

"You dare speak up against an order by your Prince? I could have your job for this! Is that what you want?" Arthur asked and the one who'd spoken shook their head. Using their own key, the door was pushed wide open and Arthur stepped inside.

He expected to face an angry Merlin and he accepted that. Merlin would feel betrayed until Arthur explained. No doubt feel hurt that Arthur hadn't come sooner. It would all be over soon.

What he didn't expect to find was an empty cell. Merlin was gone.


	14. The Gem In The Tomb

**I am honestly flattered by the amount of people who have this on story alert and appreciate every single review I get. Even the ones when people don't understand what's happening since I can then think how to correct that in later chapters.**

**Example; A few people have mentioned they don't understand if Arthur betrayed him or not. He didn't but I will be explaining it properly when Arthur has to explain it to Merlin, so just hold onto your hats and be patient. **

**I realise this story went a little off from Aladdin so I hope the scene in the cell brought some of that back =) You will eventually find out who that was just like you found out in the movie it was Jafar. **

**Enough from me, enjoy and R&R if you enjoy this chapter**

**p.s. Sorry Arthur's part is very small. Just needed a part where he actually saw the old man.**

**p.p.s. Sorry this Chapter is short XD Thought it would be more dramatic to end it where it was.**

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"Touch nothing. Remember boy, first get me that gem stone. Then you will have your reward."

Merlin glanced back at the old man who leant on his walking stick. After dodging a few of the guards, they'd quickly found the tomb he'd been talking about and now Merlin had been told that the man in front of him wanted nothing more than that gem. The rest was for Merlin.

Giving a small nod, Merlin slipped through the door which had been sealed off and found himself surrounded in darkness. "Perfect," he muttered and held out his hand. "**Álíhtan**."

His companion appeared and flew forwards. In the room he was in, there was but a simple staircase. One that went down towards a small doorway where a bright light could be seen escaping the confinements and Merlin couldn't imagine what could be so bright that it would light up the darkness he was still currently in.

Letting the ball of light lead the way, Merlin carefully took the steps one at a time and descended slowly.

Blinking from the sudden change in lighting as he entered the doorway a few minutes later, Merlin rubbed his eyes and then looked at what he faced. He did not expect to find an entire tomb filled with gold beyond any man's dreams. Piles of the gold coins littered the room, gems and stones filled chests at the base of these piles and Merlin looked up to see that the roof was what he perceived to be made of gold.

Even the King didn't have this much gold to his name.

"The gem boy, hurry!" A yell came from the door in the far distance and Merlin took a step forward, avoiding any loose pieces of gold items that lay on the ground. First he had to get the gem the man wanted, _then _he could come back for the gold.

"Just a handful of this stuff would make me richer than the King," Merlin commented as he walked down the path. His companion flew near his head and remained silent. "Do you not agree?"

"I think that coming here was a bad idea. You could get hurt and no one would know."

"That man helped me escape, this is the least I could do, it's only a tomb … nothing could happen." They carried on in silence.

When Merlin believed they'd never find this gem, they entered another tomb to find another set of stairs, only to find that these led up to a platform. On the platform rested a gem that shone a light shade of blew, there was no source of light in this part of the tomb and Merlin guessed the gem was creating it's own light. "Stay here," he muttered to his companion and began to go up the stairs.

Only when he was on the top step did he admire the beauty of the gem. He could almost feel the magic flowing through it as he extended his hand towards it, the light inside the outer layer moving faster as Merlin's touch got closer. Only at the last second did he think not to touch it, whatever it was, it was powerful. Who knew what it would do if you touched it.

Ripping some of his trouser leg off, he used it as a layer of protection when picking up the gem and smiled. "This is it? This is what we came all the way down here to-" as he turned to look down at his companion he froze. "NO!" The light had managed to get close enough to a statue Merlin only now saw and with a single movement another gem was knocked from it's grasp, smashing into thousands of pieces as it hit the ground.

"Infidels! You have touched the forbidden treasure. Now you will never again see the light of day!"

The loud voice boomed through the tomb and Merlin had mere seconds to look around for an escape route. Finding none, he gasped as the stairs beneath his feet appeared to melt away and he slid down them a moment later. When he reached the end, he sprinted into the next chamber and ran for his life. Not daring to look back at whatever was happening behind him. It couldn't be good that was for sure.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur searched the castle, seeking the boy who had taken his heart with him in his escape and found no trace of him. It was like he had never existed. Uther was asleep and the guards couldn't alerted, not if Arthur wanted Merlin to be found alive. The guards would kill him on site alone.

"Merlin!" He hissed as he rounded a corner in the lower parts of the castle. Only to find himself face to face with an old man who was waiting by a wooden door. "Who are you?" Arthur asked.

"A lowly commoner Sire, I came down here in search of my daughter and got lost along the way. Could you tell me where I could find the kitchen?"

"It's nowhere near here, in fact it's at the other end of the castle, even then the kitchen will be closed at this late hour."

"Oh … I must have gotten more lost than I thought," the man smiled and Arthur couldn't help but notice that he kept glancing at the door. As if checking that it remained closed.

"What's through-" Arthur began but suddenly the floor began to shake with such force that Arthur was thrown off his feet. Protecting his head in the fall, he saw the old man remain on his feet with such ease that his eyes widened in shock. How was that possible? The man even had a walking stick.

"That idiot! He touched more than the gem," the man hissed in a younger toned voice and Arthur frowned. Now he was just hearing things.

"I should go check on my Father. You should find somewhere safe too!"

Arthur got to his feet and dashed from the corridor, hoping that his Father was safely tucked in his bed.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"The carpet! Enchant the carpet! It will go faster!" His companion yelled and Merlin spotted the carpet he meant.

"**Aheardung séo ríce sy cwic ond lenctenbryce!**" Merlin did the spell without thinking and leapt onto the now flying carpet which did as he commanded. "GO GO GO!" It sped forward as Merlin clung onto the tassels, glancing back over his shoulder to see the gold melting and forming a wave that would kill him instantly. "Faster," he ordered and ducked as part of the ceiling broke off above him.

Merlin looked up to see the door was open where he'd entered, the stairs no longer there and the dark figure of the old man in the frame of the door. "Hurry up boy," he yelled and Merlin instinctively made the carpet slow down as he was ordered to do something. That mistake almost cost him his life.

A boulder fell from the ceiling and caught the back of the rug, Merlin leapt into the air and grasped the ledge where the old man stood. "Help me out!"

"Throw me the gem!"

"I can't hold on. Give me your hand." Merlin held out his hand and waited for the man to take it, except no help was given.

"First give me the gem!"

Apparently the only way Merlin was getting out of this was handing over the gem first, so reaching into his pocket he pulled out the material wrapped around the gem and handed it to the man. He instantly regretted it as the material was thrown off and the old man grinned down at the gem, his eyes transfixed with the light. Suddenly Merlin's wrist was grabbed and the boney fingers dug into his flesh as the man bent down.

"What are you doing?"

"Give you your reward. Your eternal reward." The voice had changed to one belonging to a younger man and Merlin gasped as he recognised it. Cedric.

Merlin was too shocked to fight as Cedric brought out a knife and went to stab Merlin in the chest, except his companion flew straight into his face. The surprise attack made Cedric release his hold on Merlin and the boy fell back through the air, his hand outstretched towards the door that had been his freedom.

A boulder that had already been falling bashed him on the head and Merlin barely registered the soft carpet flying beneath him, all he could see was darkness. Darkness and one face. Arthur's face. As his body slipped into unconsciousness and fell towards the ground, Merlin could only think that he would never again see the young Prince's face smiling at him. He would never again be held by someone who cared for him.

Never again would he see the light of day.


	15. A Knife To The Stolen Heart

**-squeals- more than 100 of you have this on story alert! Thank you!**

**This chapter isn't the best =( So sorry. I also apologise for leaving it on a cliff hanger … please don't kill me for it XD**

**I won't ramble on as usual. Enjoy and R&R if you like the chapter. I doubt I'll get another chapter up tomorrow so MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Have a fantastic day!**

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"Merlin," a deep voice echoed around him as he began to regain consciousness. Merlin didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to see what he had to face next, he was too tired. There had never been a point when he had truly been relaxed, when his life wasn't threatened or in danger. The closest he'd gotten to relaxed was when Arthur had held him, even then Merlin hadn't been able to fall asleep. "Merlin."

"Wake up Merlin," the voice of his companion now sounded next to his ear and Merlin turned his head in that direction. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw that his companion was in the form of a little person and was sat at his side. How long had they been like this?

"What happened?" Merlin asked as he sat up. Instantly regretting it as pain shot to his head and the world began to tip on its axis. However instead of falling back to the ground, something soft supported him and Merlin glanced over his shoulder to see the carpet he'd enchanted holding him up. "Thank you."

"Young warlock, you have fallen far off your path."

Lifting his head to see who was talking, he shrunk back against the carpet as he came face to face with an enormous dragon which sat mere meters away, it's eyes looking directly at him. Each of those eyes was probably the size of Merlin's fist and he didn't want to imagine what size other parts of him were in comparison.

"I must have hit my head pretty hard," he muttered and put a hand to his head. Dragons didn't exist. This was impossible.

"Pendragon needs you Merlin, this is no time to be doubting what you see."

"Arthur doesn't need me. He made that very clear when he let me dragged off by the guards."

"Not everything is what it seems. There are two sides to every story."

Merlin ignored what the 'dragon' said and looked around for the first time since opening his eyes. He appeared to be in what he could only guess was a cave, but that wasn't possible, they had to be under the castle somewhere. Deep underground with no way out.

"If I wanted to help Arthur, which I don't, how would I even do that? He's up there," Merlin pointed up, "I'm down here. My magic is strong but there is no way I'm powerful enough to get out of here without any help."

"Then it's lucky you came across a dragon," if Merlin didn't know any better, he could have sworn the dragon smiled at him.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur couldn't believe that it had only been a few hours since Camelot was attacked. It felt more like days.

After the castle had begun to shake, Arthur had found his Father walking about the castle demanding to know what was going on, no one knew. The ground just kept shaking and Arthur had feared the castle would begin to crumble.

Now they were searching for anyone trapped under anything from the earthquake in the grounds surrounding the castle. Arthur was in the middle of helping a man out of a pile of bricks that had fallen when a large sound came from behind him.

Turning, Arthur held out his sword incase he was attacked but instead faced a man dressed in black, who was doing nothing more than holding his hands up towards the sky. Just as he was about to demand the man tell him what he was doing, he saw in the corner of his eye a sign of movement on the castle walls, which wasn't possible.

Lifting his gaze, he squinted to make out the shape of one of the gargoyles moving silently along the edge of a balcony, it's eyes glowing in the darkness as it neared a group of guards helping civilians. "Run!" Arthur yelled but he was too late. It attacked.

Arthur stood frozen on the spot as the gargoyle tore the guards limb from limb, the civilians ran for cover and screamed at the sight of so much blood. It was a massacre. The guards hadn't stood a chance.

"Arthur Pendragon," the man stood in the court yard yelled and Arthur turned to face the enemy. It was clear that this man had caused the attack, he did not fear the sight of a stone statue moving and there was no quiver in his voice when facing Arthur. He did not fear the Prince. Not in the slightest.

"And what can I call you?"

"My name is Cedric. I believe you know my slave, Merlin."

So this was the man who had Merlin so terrified that he couldn't sleep at night. Who haunted his dreams and had put so many scars on Merlin's body that Arthur winced at the thought on how they must have been inflicted. Holding his sword tighter, he positioned himself to attack, fully determined to bring this bastard down a few pegs.

"By the way you're acting I can tell he's told you about me. How I treated him I mean … definitely interesting. I guess some habits die hard." Cedric came forward casually and Arthur glanced at the gem he turned in his hands. "He was always the difficult one. No matter what I did, he would never give up fighting, would never obey an order that I gave. Merlin never told me about his past no matter how much I pushed and believe me, I pushed hard and fast."

"Stop talking about him like that! He's not your slave."

"Merlin will always be my slave Arthur. He may run and hide in places like Camelot but I know that every time he changes his clothing he'll see my marks, will know exactly who he belongs too. It was only a few hours ago he was helping me get this," Cedric held up the gem and smiled. "You should have seen his little face when he realised he had for the first time done something I asked. See, it's always been about this. He's always been the one who would help me the most."

"Merlin would never-"

"You have no idea what that boy would or wouldn't do. Did you know that he's killed people?" No. He couldn't have. There wasn't a bad bone in his body. "After his parents died, Merlin killed anyone who dared come near him, with the flick of a hand he could take out a dozen men. Of course, I didn't know this until after he escaped me. Almost didn't survive because of him."

"You don't deserve to live."

"Neither does he. I may be a bad man but at least I admit it. He gives off the act of being all kind and innocent when really he's sussing out your weaknesses. Tell me, has he ever-"

"Just stop talking!" Arthur demanded and Cedric fell silent, an amused look covering his face. "Merlin is a good man. He wouldn't hurt a fly and no matter what you say I'll still believe that. He helped those who didn't ask for it or deserved it, he's hidden away his entire life because of you and when I find him, and believe me I will, I'll be the one to tell him he can sleep at night."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm going to kill you."

Merlin opened his eyes as the magic flowed through him and he could feel himself growing stronger. The dragon was right, he just needed a little more power and then he could escape. Now he had it, Merlin could go help Arthur. He would keep him safe.

"Remember our promise young warlock. You are to release me when this is all over. You gave me your word."

"I will. Thank you."

Jumping onto the carpet, Merlin let it fly him towards the solid ceiling and held out his hand. It was now or never. "**T****óbrecan," **he yelled it with such force that the carpet beneath him shook and as the magic jolted from his hand, the ceiling broke away.

Smiling in relief, Merlin covered his head as they flew up through the hole and he looked around to see they were near the stables. Dropping off the carpet he found that he stood alone. There was not a soul insight. "What's happened?" Merlin sat out loud and walked through the streets slowly so not to draw attention to himself.

Somehow he knew who was behind it. He hadn't been hearing things when he had been held by that old man. He may have looked different but that man had been Cedric. He'd changed his appearance so Merlin would help him and now Camelot was paying for it.

"You are a useless tool Pendragon. This Kingdom is mine!" His voice boomed out and Merlin turned the last corner to enter the court yard. What he saw made his heart stop dead in his chest.

Arthur was being held in midair by some kind of spell and he was covered in blood, his chest moving as he attempted to catch his breath. He looked like he'd just walked out of a war zone.

"I thought you'd be harder to end than this … pity." Merlin's eyes widened as the knife he'd drawn earlier was lifted into the air, Cedric's eyes turned golden and the knife turned to point straight at Arthur who's feet now rested on the ground. The magic not needed to hold him up as he was barely able to stand in his condition. "Goodbye, Arthur Pendragon. I promise to take good care of Merlin for you."

Merlin was already running forward. His hand already outstretched as he watched the knife glide through the air towards Arthur's chest in slow motion. He didn't even notice Cedric look at him with a smile on his face.

All he could notice was that Arthur now looked at Merlin, acceptance in his gaze that he was about to die, also a look of relief that Merlin had come at the last second. Merlin wouldn't accept this was the last time Arthur would look at him like that. He would see Arthur smile again.

So when the sound of the knife hitting a body filled the courtyard, silence followed and the two lovers looked at each other with widened eyes. Neither moving. Neither speaking. It was only when a pair of legs gave way that a name was called with such a pained tone that no one around would doubt they were a couple.

For it would go down in history that when the Prince had been kidnapped, he had returned heartless. The thief hadn't just stolen the Prince. He had taken his heart as well.


	16. A Life For A Life

**For what I thought was a weak chapter, my latest got the most reviews so far! Thank you greatly! **

**So I wonder who got hit by the knife … well you're about to find out … maybe**

**This chapter is dedicated to Ichigo kisses who helped me come up with an idea on how to progress this story! I've been thinking about it for a few days and came up blank, now I have LOADS of ideas. So thanks Ichigo 3**

**Please R&R**

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"_Do it."_

"_Are you sure you want to do this Arthur? For if I save his life, a life must be taken, that is the way nature works. Is he worth it?"_

"_Yes, to me, he's worth it."_

"_Very well," Cedric lifted the gem he held into the air and began to chant. Arthur on the other hand looked at two blue eyes that looked at him with sadness. Like he knew something was about to happen. The man even opened his mouth to talk, except nothing but silence came out, Arthur just stared in confusion as the person wept as he spoke._

_The owner of the blue eyes turned to look at Cedric and spoke, causing the slave trader to stop the spell. "NO! Keep going!" Arthur demanded and clutched the body in his arms. "I will not let him die. You can't stop me!" A small smile came to Cedric's face, one of joy and amusement. Like he knew this would happen. "What did he say?"_

"_He is giving his life so you can be with the one you love more than anyone else."_

"_No! Camelot needs-"_

"_The deal has been struck. A life will now be taken."_

_Cedric aimed his hand towards the man, the smile never leaving his face and Arthur watched as a small stream of gold light left the man's chest which went straight into the body he held. It didn't take long for the spell to work. Soon the blood stopped flowing and the heart began to beat in their chest as the last remaining words of the spell were said. _

"_The spell is done. History will be rewritten."_

"_What-"_

Arthur jolted up in his bed as pain erupted in his head. It happened every time he had that dream. A dream that was becoming more and more clear every time he slept. Whatever it was about was still unclear. He still did not understand what scene unfolded in his mind every night. All he could figure out was that someone who he loved dearly had died in his arms, another had sacrificed themselves so that Arthur could get them back and another cast the spell that made it happen. Who these people were he didn't know.

"Arthur! The King wants to see you!" Morgana yelled from the door as she strolled past that morning. Arthur groaned and rolled onto his stomach, hiding his head in his pillow at the thought of facing his Father. It would no doubt be about the thief.

The thief he'd been after for years had suddenly vanished a month ago. One night he was chasing the thief who smiled at him mischievously and the next he was gone. Nobody had spotted him, seen him, there wasn't a single rumour about the thief either. Arthur had thought the thief had made an appearance in his bedroom a few nights ago, for he had awoken to see someone looking down at him, but when he'd blinked whoever it was had been gone.

"Sire, I've been sent here to help you get dressed."

Arthur lifted his head from his pillow and glared at the servant stood at the door, "Have you heard of knocking?" Sighing, he climbed from the bed and got himself ready to meet with his Father. It was going to be a long day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Merlin sat on top of a stall as the commoners of Camelot went around doing their daily shopping. He liked watching the people walk around, they didn't have any cares in the world, could love whoever they wanted too. Then again, they hadn't met the Prince.

He'd opened his eyes a few days ago and found himself back in his home looking over Camelot. Cedric had done as he promised. A life for a life.

His life for Uther's.

For it had been the King that took the knife to the heart last night. He had protected his Son and died instantly in Arthur's arms. Arthur being the man he was, begged to trade his life for the King's, to which Cedric agreed since he now had the power to do so via the gem.

Merlin couldn't have watched Arthur die. In the end it had been all Merlin's fault. He was the one who came to Camelot as he ran from Cedric. He was the one who couldn't help himself when it came to Arthur and his desires for the man. He was the one who had retrieved the gem and gave Cedric the power he needed to take Camelot. The King's death had been his fault. Therefore it was his life that should be taken. Not Arthur's.

"_Take my life."_

His lips moved as he remembered the words spoken. Cedric had accepted Merlin's request and then had cast his spell.

However Merlin hadn't died. He had woken up in his home.

In that moment of happiness that he'd survived, he had run to see Arthur in the castle that very morning. However upon arrival he had seen Arthur sleeping soundly in his bed. He had been alive. His Prince was alive.

"_Arthur," Merlin whispered._

_The Prince had awoken to the sound of his name. However when he opened his eyes there was no sign of recognition, Arthur did not look at him like Merlin remembered. Arthur had looked at him like he was the thief he had once been. _

_Merlin had vanished a moment later in fear that Arthur would call the guards in or worse, capture Merlin himself._

It was obvious what Cedric had done. He'd decided that death wasn't enough of a sacrifice to have Uther's life back. Instead he had separated the boys in the worst possible way. Arthur didn't remember him. Not in the way Merlin wanted. He was back to being the thief in Arthur's eyes. The last month hadn't happened. He had heard from a passerby of one of the stalls he sat on that the thief hadn't been spotted in all that time.

Merlin decided to keep it that way. He would stay away. There was a chance that if Arthur remembered him that Uther would die and that would kill Arthur.

So now he watched, not necessarily from the shadows but from up above. The past few days he had been bored out of his mind. Except he knew Arthur was happy and that was enough.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Arthur pulled the cloak over his head as he finally escaped the castle grounds. Uther had told him that the thief was no longer a priority and they had to focus on other things. For some reason that had bothered him and yet he should be relieved. Arthur had felt that way for a month now. Something was bothering him constantly.

Making sure his head was completely covered, he brushed past a crowd of people to enter the main market, his eyes taking in all the products for sale. He could probably buy most of the stuff being sold and most of the people around him would struggle to buy a couple of them. It made him feel weird being here. Yet it was here or the castle and that choice was easy to make.

He eventually found himself walking down the outer streets silently, avoiding the look of any passerby and trying to kill time by taking plenty of turns down alleys.

It was only when he was slipping down a thin alley that he stopped walking. He felt something turn in his stomach as he looked at an arch that was at the end of the alley. Arthur recognised this place.

"How…" he slowly stepped forward and then froze as someone appeared in front of him.

"Arthur … what are you …." the boy was looking at him with such shock that Arthur was surprised he hadn't fainted from how pale he had just gotten.

"Do I know you?"

"What?"

"I am the Prince. Unless I know you, you address me as Sire."

The boy smirked and crossed his arms, "Never bothered you before. In fact, I believe you prefer being called My Prince." Arthur blinked a few times and then realised just who he was facing. "Just clicked did it?"

"Aren't you going to run? I've been ordered to capture you."

"If I thought you could catch me then I'd be running, Arthur." He began to walk towards Arthur and he cursed himself for not bringing his sword. "Stand down soldier. Just pretend you didn't see me and then you don't have to lie to Daddy."

Arthur grabbed him by the arm and held him still, "Gotcha."

"Let. Go."

"Was that an order?"

"More like a friendly suggestion," the thief teased and Arthur felt his breath catch in his throat when their eyes met. They had never been this close and yet it felt familiar, natural even. As if sensing that Arthur was feeling something he shouldn't, the thief moved closer to him and Arthur felt his back press against the wall. Why wasn't he fighting back? "I'd take that friendly suggestion if I were you."

"If I were you, I wouldn't live in this pit."

"History gets rewritten and you're still a prat. Now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere to be," he gently brushed Arthur's hand away and began to walk down the alley. "If you bring the guards here I'll kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," Arthur yelled and suddenly a huge gust of wind blew him straight off his feet. Lifting his head he saw the faint colour of gold leave the thief's eyes.

"No, you wouldn't."


	17. Just Emrys

**Sorry if people got confused about the whole life for a life. Basically Cedric took all the memories of Merlin from Arthur and in a way that was like taking a life, just in a crueler way since Merlin has to keep all those memories. **

**If you enjoy how I write then check out another story I'm writing called Dragon Training =) It's a Merlin & Arthur story too.**

**Please R&R, the reviews are what keep me writing**

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Merlin glared at the fire as he felt the pair of eyes stare into the back of his head. It had been like this every night for the past week. Every time he came home, there he was, just sitting there. Apparently Arthur had nothing better to do but watch Merlin as he went about his daily business. At first he'd been questioned, harassed, cornered so he couldn't walk out. Now Arthur accepted Merlin wasn't going to say anything and just sat in silence. To be honest, it was beginning to bug him a little.

"Where do you keep going? I know you steal food but there's only so much food you need." Another comment made by the Prince as Merlin cooked his dinner.

"None of your business."

"It is when it's happening in my Kingdom."

"Not your Kingdom quite yet Arthur," Merlin stated and turned his piece of chicken over in the pan so both sides were cooked. "Are you not tired of coming here? I'm not going to talk to you."

"I'm a patient man." Sighing in frustration, Merlin put the chicken onto a plate and slid it over to Arthur's feet who looked down at it with suspicion. "What's this?"

"I believe it's called food here."

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"You come here every night and never eat, I doubt you eat when you get back either." Getting to his feet, Merlin brushed off his clothes before whispering a spell to put out the fire, no longer needing it to cook. "Just don't make a mess."

"What are you going to eat?"

"I have somewhere to be." Whilst grabbing his cloak on the way out Merlin didn't dare look back at Arthur. Every time they had shared a look, Merlin had found it harder and harder to fight back the desire to tell Arthur exactly what happened and who they really were to each other. He wasn't just some common thief. Arthur had once held him in his arms like the was the greatest treasure he'd ever had. Now he simply looked upon Merlin with curiosity.

Why Merlin wasn't being thrown into prison was beyond him. He was just accepting it and praying that Arthur would lose interest in him. At least that's what he told himself.

Five minutes later Merlin was crouched beside a bed as he looked at the little boy sleeping, his parents close behind him as they waited to see if their Son could be helped, Merlin being their last hope. "It's good that you got word to me, your little boy wouldn't have lasted much longer, not with that amount of damage to his heart."

"His heart? We thought he was just having trouble breathing?"

"His heart isn't pumping enough blood through him so his lungs are struggling, therefore making it harder to breathe."

"And you know this by looking at him?"

"I have my ways." Those ways included magic and much experience when seeing these types of symptoms. "It'll take a while for my spell to work so if you can leave me in peace I'll start straight away."

"Thank you," the woman pulled Merlin into her arms and held him tightly. "Thank you so much! How can we repay you? Nobody could tell us how much you charge. We don't have much but you've helped many like us and they have never suffered after your help, which means you can't charge much. Not saying we won't pay a lot because our Son is-"

"I charge nothing. My services are free."

"That can't be possible," the man now interrupted. "You surely can't heal all these people and expect nothing in return?"

"Maybe you can just owe me a favour," Merlin suggested and crouched back down.

"Thank you Emrys. Someday we'll repay you," they left him to it. Merlin turned his entire attention to the young boy who breathed deeply and sighed, this one would take its toll on him. The smaller healing spells normally brushed right over him. This one would mean a days rest _if _he could get home safely.

Arthur stared at the now empty plate that was on the floor at his feet. He didn't know what dragged him back to this place every evening. The fact he hadn't dragged the thief's ass back to see his Father was a mystery to him. He just found the boy fascinating.

He rarely talked or met his eye, yet there was the way he acted that made Arthur feel somewhat safe. Every time a loud noise was heard, the thief instantly put himself between Arthur and the noise until he knew what it was. No one had done that out of choice before, just loyalty to the throne.

Every night Arthur came back was another night he could try to learn more about him.

Getting to his feet, Arthur grabbed his jacket off the floor and slipped it on. It was time he went back to the castle where he could sleep the night away and face another day of lectures from his Father. How he wished sometimes that his Father would just … vanish for a little while. Just so he could have some peace.

Kicking the floor as he walked along the streets back towards home, Arthur wished that he could make sense of why he felt so inclined to go back to that place every night, yet no logical explanation could be made. Yet.

_I should just stop coming. I mean, it's a nice breather from my Father but-_

A loud crash broke his thoughts and he turned to see someone stumbling out of an alley, their hands clutched at the wall as if that was the only thing holding them up. "Hey, you alright?"

"Bugger off prat."

He knew exactly who that was and Arthur only just made it in time to catch the thief as he fell towards the ground, now unconscious. "Okay … you're not alright." Arthur glanced up and down the street, seeing that no one was around to help him he decided that it was up to him to help the guy out.

Whether he wanted his help or not.

He was in a bed. An actual bed.

Merlin had opened his eyes to find himself lying comfortably in a large bed. Not in a dark alley like he thought he would be. At first panic had hit him and then when no immediate danger appeared, he relaxed. At least until he sat up to find himself in the Prince's bedroom.

"You're finally awake." Looking sideways he saw the Prince shutting the door with a plate in hand, filled to the brim with food and a drink in the other. "How you feeling?" Now he was stood by the bed and Merlin felt his heart begin to beat faster in his chest.

"What … How … When …" Pulling the sheet up to his chest he looked around the room and tried not to panic. "Why did you bring me here?"

"You needed help and my physician is one of the best. He's checked you over and said that you were just tired and needed to rest. So I brought you where I knew you'd sleep peacefully without disturbance." Arthur explained and sat down on the edge of the bed, "What better place to sleep than the Prince's bed."

"Are you an idiot or something?" Merlin slipped from the bed and fell back against the bedside table as his legs gave way, "I can't be here!"

"Why not? Nobody will know you're the thief and nobodies allowed in my room without permission."

"Just stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop acting like you care about me. You don't know me and it's only been a week since you started freakishly stalking me. You think you can just bring me here and I won't get caught? I can outrun you but I can't outrun all the guards! I'm fast but not that fast. I have to go-"

Arthur was in front of him a second later and gently pushing him back onto the bed, "You're not going anywhere. You can barely stand. I may not know you but you clearly need someone to take care of you. Now get back into bed and have something to eat, you need the energy boost."

"I can take care of myself."

"Look just-"

"I'm am this-" Merlin put his fingers close together, "close to kicking your ass. Get out of my way or I'll make you move."

"You can barely walk, I hardly think you can fight me."

"You don't know me and have no idea how powerful I am." Merlin pushed Arthur away as he got out of the bed and was stopped as Arthur held his ground. "Get out of my way."

"No."

"I swear I'll-"

"What? Kick my ass? I'm not going to let you walk off and-"

Merlin didn't know why he did, what made him grab Arthur by the scruff of the neck, but one moment Arthur was talking, the next his lips were silenced with Merlin's. Just hearing how protective Arthur was made him remember their time together, how every glance had meant more than just a look, how every touch was more than just friendship. He wanted that back.

He wanted it all back.

Pulling Arthur down on top of him as he lay back in the bed, Merlin pushed the jacket from his shoulders and threw it to the floor without hesitation. Next he went for the trousers as he was finding that the shirt Arthur wore was far less important to take off. Except when his hand reached the hem of his beloved Prince's trousers, the man above him froze and pulled back.

"I …" Arthur tried to talk but Merlin understood why he'd pulled back. He didn't have the memories that Merlin had. None that showed him how many times they'd spent most of the night chatting, how every kiss shared had blown their minds away and that they didn't have to be so alone anymore. Merlin was a stranger now. The kiss they had just shared had been the first for Arthur and he no doubt didn't understand why it had happened.

"You're right. I should be resting and this bed _is_ comfortable." Merlin moved over to the other side of the double bed and rested his head on the pillow, facing away from the confused Prince. "Thank you, for the food. I'll have some when I wake up."

"You never told me your name."

"What?"

"When I kept bothering you back where you lived. You never even introduced yourself. Why would you kiss me when you won't even tell me your name?" Arthur asked and Merlin gripped the sheet at his chest. His name might trigger the memories and that could cause the King to die.

"Emrys, my name is Emrys."

He couldn't be Merlin anymore. That side of himself had caused this mess and if he wasn't careful, would cause another mess. "Just Emrys? No other name before that?" Arthur asked and Merlin felt those blue eyes staring at the back of his head again.

"Nope. Just Emrys."


	18. Taking Light From Camelot

**Thanks for the reviews =) I won't waste any time. Please R&R and enjoy!**

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Glancing back at the sleeping Prince, Merlin sighed and wondered why he wasn't leaving. He'd made it as far as the balcony before the thought of leaving Arthur made his heart turn cold. He still felt like there was some hope that they could be together, after all, Arthur had helped him without even knowing who he was. That had to mean something right? Then again, he was good at heart and would probably help anyone in need. Merlin just happened to be the one who needed it.

"That was always your problem, you thought too much." Merlin turned his eyes away from Arthur to see he wasn't alone on the balcony. Cedric had finally made his appearance. He was exactly the same as Merlin remembered too and it just made Merlin more angry. Why did he have to suffer when Cedric was the bad guy here? "Having fun with your Prince?"

"You didn't keep up your side of the bargain Cedric. A life for a life. That's what nature demands and you can't change that, no matter how powerful you are. His memories of me can't be enough, even an idiot would know that, so who's life did you take instead?"

"Who's to say it wasn't enough? The things you two would have done together would have changed _everything. _By taking you out of the equation Arthur cannot become the King Camelot needs. I have effectively made sure that many people will die at Uther's hands that wouldn't have before. Your life didn't need to be taken."

"You still could have just taken my life. Would have done the same thing. Uther would still be King and would kill those people."

"Where's the fun in that?" Cedric stepped up onto one of the statues and looked down at him with a smile. "You know me Merlin. I enjoy watching you, see how you react, what makes you tick. This is exactly what I needed to do to get a good reaction from you."

"Hardly. I'll be leaving in the morning and then you'll never find me."

"You won't leave."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you won't leave him," Cedric looked over Merlin and at the sleeping Prince who sat in a chair beside the double bed. Merlin looked at Arthur as well and knew Cedric was right, he couldn't leave. Especially when he knew Cedric would be around and if he wasn't close by, anything could happen. What Merlin still didn't understand was what Cedric got from this. He gained nothing from separating the two lovers and he had yet to do anything with the Gem. There had to be _some _reason why he had wanted that particular jewel.

"Mast-" Merlin started but when he turned he found him gone. Black smoke swirling in the air now replaced where his body should have been.

Finding himself alone again, Merlin looked to the sky and watched as the clouds drifted across the moon as it watched over Camelot. At least some things never changed. "**Ealdgenéat**," he whispered and his companion appeared beside him. Somehow Merlin got the impression it was sad. "Hello old friend."

"You have not summoned me for a while. I feared you no longer needed me."

"I will always need you, I just … I knew you'd try to comfort me about all of this and I can't deal with that right now."

"Then why summon me Merlin?"

"I'm lonely," he admitted and breathed in a cold breath of fresh air. "Do you remember when we travelled here? We spent nights sleeping under the stars and making up stories of travelers who had done the same thing. I always wished to be one of them, their only worry was getting to places on time and being with the people they loved."

"You could be one of them. You don't have to stay here Merlin. Camelot is just a place, we can find a new home and new people to love. They won't even have to know who you are."

"That's the problem … I don't know who I am anymore."

"Then the question you have to ask yourself is who do you _want _to be?" Merlin glanced over at Arthur and then back at Camelot. That was the question wasn't it. Did he want to be the little boy who ran across the land to escape one man or the thief who stayed and fought for the man he knew he couldn't live without?

"What's the point? He doesn't remember me and never will. I know that spell Cedric cast, Arthur will never remember, not unless Uther is killed and that's not likely to happen anytime soon. I'm fighting a losing battle."

"You're fighting a battle where you could come out at the other end with someone to love and more chances to create new memories." His companion flew over to the Prince and hovered around his head for some reason, "Is he worth it though?"

To Merlin he was.

Arthur slipped back into reality when he felt a cold breeze come over him. Reaching around him to find his duvet, he frowned when all he felt was air, like he wasn't even in his bed. Opening his eyes slowly, he discovered that this was in fact true. He'd fallen asleep in his chair by his bed and it took him a few moments to remember why.

When the memory of the thief being injured came to mind, he looked around the room to see if he was still around, Arthur wouldn't blame him if he hadn't already escaped. Except he hadn't. Instead he stood on the balcony with his back turned to the room. His eyes staring out at the Kingdom Arthur one day hoped to call his own.

Getting up from the chair he silently walked across the hard floor and towards the boy who he could now hear was saying something. "**Ácumendlicnes cenningtíd se léohtgesceot ríce behealdan neoðan**." Arthur could not understand what he was saying but the way the words flowed from his mouth let him know it was magic he was seeing.

As the final word left his lips, Arthur held back a gasp as the lights that had been in the town below began to rise towards the sky, not a single flame left to light the streets. Each light hovered until all the others joined and then they all started flying towards the balcony, Arthur even took a step back in fear they'd cause him injuries. However they didn't. Instead the lights surrounded his guest and lightly brushed against his skin. No harm coming to him.

Arthur grasped the curtain as Emrys turned to face him and he beheld a sight that none could ever imagine. For there was never a sight so grand when you looked upon a person who was surrounded in light and everywhere else was in darkness. Nothing could stop him from staring and he felt himself smile as Emrys smiled at him.

"**Mín breguweard**," Emrys whispered and the lights left his body. Arthur's body tensed as the lights touched his own skin and he could almost swear he could hear whispers coming from them. That wasn't possible. Light couldn't make noises … could it?

"I think he's getting a little freaked out," a soft voice came from where the thief stood and Arthur lifted his gaze to see one light hadn't followed the others. This one was brighter and bigger, it's hover purposely close to Emrys. Arthur almost felt like he was being mocked by the two of them. "I think you should get rid of the lights before he brings out his sword."

Emrys nodded and his eyes flashed golden. The next time Arthur blinked they were back to being alone and only one light remained in their presence. "What did you do?" Arthur asked quietly.

"A bit of magic. Couldn't sleep," Emrys replied and glanced at the light before back at him. "What are you doing awake?"

"Couldn't sleep," Arthur lied and could only guess that Emrys was lying as well. Going forward a few steps so he wasn't hovering in the bedroom, he came to stand beside the thief and look down at the town below. "Why do I feel so comfortable around you Emrys?"

"I just have that kind of effect on people."

"I'm not people." Looking sideways, he studied the young boys face and tried to think why he felt this way. Why he had such a fascination over one person, why his dreams were filled of him and when he woke up he wanted to be in his arms. Not alone and in a dark room. "Are you sure we haven't met before this week? When we were younger maybe?"

"I'm not from around here so it's highly unlikely," Emrys stated and rubbed his arms through his thin jacket. Arthur instantly took his off and draped it around his shoulders, providing him with some warmth. "Thanks." Did Arthur see a slight blush appear on his face?

"So where are you from then?"

"Nowhere specifically, I travel a lot, I don't like staying in one place too long. Things tend to catch up with you that way."

"You have stayed here for a long time, something making you stay?" Arthur asked and couldn't help but hope that his answer would include him. Why he hoped that he didn't know. This past week had brought up a lot of questions and Arthur wished he could get the answers.

"I have my reasons-" Emrys gasped as the small ball of light shoved him from behind and he collided with Arthur. The thief's hands now pressed against his chest and the warmth spreading between them was enough that Arthur wanted to strip himself of any clothing he had. All this from a touch with a stranger? Something was seriously wrong with him. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he heard himself whisper as he looked down at Emrys. They were so close now. All it would take was a dip of the head and he could carry on what they started last night. "Why did you kiss me?" When Emrys didn't answer, Arthur wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, giving him no chance to escape.

"Arthur, don't … I need to go-"

"You need to kiss me again," Arthur muttered. "That's an order Emrys."

"I don't follow orders, you know that." Emrys said quietly but was already wrapping his arms around Arthur's neck, his fingers lightly playing with the golden locks that no doubt were a complete mess. "What if I told you I liked someone else? That I wasn't available?"

"Then I'd tell you that the Prince gets anything he wants and right now, that's _you_."

He should be pulling away. Making some kind of gap between them so that Arthur didn't have the chance to kiss him. Yet the memory of the kiss they shared last night now hung in the air and Merlin couldn't help but want one more night with Arthur. At least then they'd both have a memory together.

"You can go," Merlin whispered and Arthur tensed beneath his touch. "Not you," he turned his attention to his companion who hovered a few inches away, "_You_."

"Alright, but be careful M-"

"Now!" He interrupted before his name could be spoken. "Keep an eye out for any guards or something." The light bobbed up and down before flying off into the grounds of the castle. The two boys now left alone with each other.

"Did you make that thing? With your magic I mean."

"Yes, why?"

"Just makes me wonder what else you could do," Arthur commented and Merlin smirked.

"You have no idea," he whispered and Merlin pulled him into the confinements of the bedroom. One spell was it they needed to have the curtains closed and the lights put out by the bed which had been left on through the night.

"What made you change your mind?" Arthur asked and Merlin didn't have to question what he meant.

"Maybe I'm tired of fighting destiny." With that said, Merlin forced the Prince to sit on the bed and knelt at his feet to remove his shoes.

"You don't need to do that! You're not my servant." A firm grasp stopped Merlin from taking off the other boot and the young warlock looked through his eyelashes up at Arthur.

"I like taking off your clothes," he watched as Arthur shivered when his top began riding up his chest from another spell being cast. "All of them."


	19. Seeing In The Dark

**Just realised that my usual xoxoxox didn't appear between changes in characters POV in the last chapter. Sorry! I'll double check before putting this one up.**

**Thanks for the reviews again. I'm really hoping to reach 200 by chapter 20 ;) My own personal goal so I'll be making these next two chapters good ones … hopefully anyway. I can't make it too dirty since this is rated T but I hope you still enjoy what I have written.**

**Enjoy and R&R please! **

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Arthur felt goosebumps appear over his skin as his clothes began to be taken off by magic. Emrys on the other hand simply knelt on the floor by his feet with a cheeky smile on his face as he watched the Prince's reaction to what he was doing. It was like he already knew how Arthur would react. Arthur couldn't even hide how his body reacted as his final item of clothing left him to fall to the floor on the other side of the bed and as Emrys got his feet he could feel a rise of anticipation. Was this really happening?

"Lie back," Emrys ordered and he instantly tensed up. No one ordered him around.

"I don't think so, I'm the Prince, I'll decide wh-"

"Arthur," a whisper came from the thief's lips now as he bent down and put a hand either side of Arthur on the bed. "Either you lie back or I make you. You order everyone around, maybe for once you should give someone else control, I promise you that you'll enjoy it."

"You can't know that. I hate not being in control."

A flash of emotion appeared in the man's eyes as he looked down at the Prince, however a moment later it was gone and instead his eyes were filled with promises of what was to come. "If you don't enjoy what I have planned then all you have to do is say no. That's it, just one little word and I'll stop."

If he had had a chance Arthur would have said no straight away, except the soft lips now pressed against his chest made a moan leave his lips instead and without thinking he fell back against the bed. He probably wouldn't have noticed even if they were on a hard cold floor, the heat emitting from his partners body was enough to warm him and the fact they were on a bed didn't even register. All his thoughts was on what the thief was doing with that skilled little tongue of his.

"Move up the bed," a quiet command came from Emrys.

Needing more of his touch, Arthur sat up and began moving towards the head of the bed as Emrys crawled after him. He didn't even think to stop and soon enough his back hit the headboard, the pain not registered as the thief came to straddle his waist. The evidence of his arousal now between them as their heated gazes met from the close contact and Arthur grasped the thief's waist as he shifted forward, bringing them even closer.

"You have too many clothes on," Arthur muttered and his hands instantly pushed off his own jacket that he'd draped over the young boys shoulders earlier on the balcony. "Take them off," his hands were already going to his trousers but a firm grasp stopped him.

"Later."

"Later isn't good enough!" Not giving Emrys to use his magic to stop him Arthur pushed him forward and was the one now on top. Dipping his head down, Arthur joined their lips in a passionate kiss as his hands worked on the drawstring holding the thief's trousers up and apparently the kiss was enough to distract Emrys as he didn't even attempt to stop him.

_If only I had magic too … this would be so much easier._

He couldn't believe the thought had even crossed his mind but it was a fact that using magic now would be so much easier than having to undo a knot without looking. The fact that Emrys' tongue was working its own magic inside Arthur's mouth wasn't helping and every thrust of his tongue just made Arthur's body heat up with desire. The images now filling his head now enough to make him rip the trousers off Emrys and abandon them somewhere beside the bed.

"Those were my favourite trousers," Emrys muttered with a smile on his lips.

Arthur pulled away, only enough so they could take a breath, and leant his forehead against the thief's. "I will get you an entire wardrobe of trousers and then will spend many nights ripping them off as well." After all, they were just clothes, Arthur could get more made if they ever ran out.

"That's not the point but thanks," he lightly pecked Arthur's lips in gratitude.

"We can do the same thing with your tops as well," Arthur commented and went to rip it off when a sudden force caused him to roll off the bed. Now lying butt naked on the cold floor, he rubbed his pounding head and looked up at the bed where Emrys made no sound. "Emrys?"

Sitting up so he could peer over the edge, he saw Emrys lying there with his top clutched tightly in his fist, his eyes tightly closed as if trying to block out the world. Apparently taking off the top was a touchy subject. Pushing himself off the ground, Arthur crawled onto the bed and hovered over the silent thief. "If you aren't comfortable with this anymore we can stop Emrys."

"That's not it …" his blue eyes opened and looked at the Prince with sadness in his gaze. "I just don't want you to see … me."

Arthur's expression softened and he pressed a light kiss to his lips, "Nothing about you could stop me feeling what I do. I have enough scars that nothing you have could compare." However when Emrys looked away Arthur regretted his words. Maybe there was some scars that were worse than his own. "Emrys, I can barely see you anyway. It's so dark in here with the curtains shut that I can only just make out your face. If you have any scars then I'd only be able to feel them, not see them."

"You promise it's too dark to see?"

"I swear to you as the Prince of Camelot that I cannot see," he put his hand over the thief's that clutched his top and gently pried his fingers apart. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

Emrys tensed as Arthur pulled the top over his head as he sat up, true to his word Arthur couldn't see whatever Emrys wanted to hide and he slowly moved back towards the head of the bed. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

Merlin opened his eyes for the second time whilst lying in the Prince's bed after some well needed rest. Surprisingly no nightmares had come, not even a glimmer of his past had appeared, he'd only dreamt of Arthur. As he clutched the sheet that lay over him, his eyes darted around the room, everything in here reminded him that he wasn't a part of this world. He'd never been near such luxury furniture and people like him could only dream of living in a place like this.

However when the arm around his waist tightened, he felt some of the tension leave him and instead the memories of last night filled his mind. Last night had been … what he could only describe as _mind blowing_. He thought he'd known what to expect after what had happened with Cedric in the past, especially since the man had claimed he'd shown Merlin exactly what it would be like to be with another man, but he had been wrong. Nothing could mount up to what it was like to be with Arthur.

Even before Cedric had taken Arthur's memories, he had never looked at Merlin like he had last night and it was what had helped Merlin make the final decision to go all the way with him. In the past he had been too scared that he'd disappoint the Prince, that his scars would scare him off, except nothing he did had done caused the Prince to become repulsed or dissatisfied. Everything had been perfect. Arthur had been more than perfect.

Lips pressing kisses to the back of his neck made him move on from last night and remind him that he would have to leave. Arthur might believe that he could hide Merlin away in his room but he knew better. It was only a matter of time before Merlin was discovered and then they'd learn exactly who he was. It wouldn't be hard to deduct that he was the thief they'd been looking for. Except when Arthur slipped his leg between his, Merlin couldn't help but wish they could stay right here in their own little bubble.

"Good morning," Arthur whispered and he smiled. What he wouldn't give to wake up every morning to hear that husky voice.

"Morning yourself."

Merlin turned his head to the side to meet the Prince's lips, his hand interlocking with Arthur's as the kiss became more intense and it took all his willpower not to pick up from where they left off last night. Arthur on the other hand didn't have the willpower as he gently pushed Merlin down with his free hand so that he was lying beneath him and with his body pressed up against Merlin's, he was getting awfully close to getting exactly what he wanted.

At least until Merlin realised that with the light in the room, Arthur would be able to see exactly what marks he had covering his body and it would ruin everything. However the Prince seemed to sense his discomfort and pulled away from him, at the same time Merlin lifted his hand and covered Arthur's eyes. Preventing him from seeing Merlin's chest.

"What are you doing?"

"It's not night anymore."

"Way to state the obvious."

"You can see me," Merlin whispered and Arthur's body relaxed above him.

"Then let's get you a top to wear." Arthur moved away from Merlin and reached down from the bed to grab his top. Arthur kept his back turned as he held the top out to Merlin and he felt his heart melt at the gesture. "Just let me know when I can look."

Merlin was quick to slip it on and instantly smiled as Arthur's scent surrounded him, it would take a lot to get Merlin to take this off any time soon. Going onto his knees, he pressed his chest against Arthur's back as his arms circled his neck, holding him in a tight embrace from behind. "Thank you," he whispered and Arthur squeezed his hands that hung around his neck. Just when Merlin was going to point out that they could still do what they were going to do with his top on, Arthur bolted from the bed and spun to face him with his eyes wider than Merlin had ever seen. "What?"

"My Father! He got a message to me yesterday that he needed to talk to me this morning. Knowing him he'll be here any minute." Arthur was already gathering the abandoned clothes and Merlin got up from the bed, grabbing the worried Prince by the arm.

"Calm down Arthur, we have some time. You get dressed and I'll tidy up." Merlin saw the gratitude appear on his face and Arthur pecked his lips before hurrying over the wardrobe to grab some clean clothes. Everything was going well until there was a knock at the door and Merlin froze, he'd only just managed to make the bed in time, he hadn't given himself a chance to hide.

"Under the bed," Arthur hissed as he walked towards the door. Merlin nodded and took the items of clothing with him as he pressed his body to the cold stoned floor. Luckily Arthur had sheets long enough to drape over the bottom of the bed and Merlin had enough space to move around so he could push back a corner to spy on the King who had just entered. "Morning Sire," Arthur greeted with a smile.

"Good morning Arthur. I hope you slept well?"

"Didn't sleep much I'm afraid," Merlin couldn't help but smile as the Prince glanced towards the bed. "Had a bit of a restless night."

"You should see Gaius about that, he can give you something to help you sleep." Uther walked further into the room and Merlin tried to make himself as small as possible, even though it wouldn't make a difference. "I wanted to introduce you to an old friend of mine. He's come for a visit and has been looking forward to meeting you."

"I would be honored to meeting him later-"

"You can come in now," Uther said loudly and Merlin heard the sound of the door reopening as another person entered the room. Pushing back the sheet a little more, he looked up at who the new guest was and dark eyes met his a moment later. "This is Cedric."


	20. Slaves At A Feast Of Royals

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* * *

Merlin looked down at the courtyard where Uther and his 'friend' walked across with guards nearby, both chatting away like they'd always been friends. He didn't understand what Cedric was doing. There was no benefit from making the King believe they were friends and he hadn't told Uther that Merlin had been beneath the bed, which meant he wasn't trying to get Merlin caught. Yet.

It was only a few hours ago that Arthur had left Merlin alone in the room so he could attend training, he had to keep up appearances that everything was normal and had made Merlin swear that he'd remain in the room until he returned. Merlin had mumbled a promise of some kind and was now watching the people below. The view from up here was definitely different from watching from the top of a stall. He could make out a lot more people and all of them were nicely dressed, not a commoner insight came anywhere near the castle since the servants were ordered to use the tunnels to get around.

"You envy them," his companion said and Merlin turned his head to see it had returned from its travels.

"I do not. They have to abide to rules, dress up in clothes that cost more than most homes and speak in such a proper manner. I'd go insane if I lived here," Merlin commented and looked back at the two 'friends' who had just vanished out of sight over the bridge. He would be worried that Cedric would harm the King but with the amount of guards following, he wouldn't risk it. At least he hoped he wouldn't.

"Yet you watch them through jealous eyes. It is nothing to be ashamed of. You have come from a background where things like that weren't even considered and now that you are so close … well, it would be hard to resist this kind of life."

"I don't belong here. I will and forever will be a thief, nothing could change that."

"Not even the Prince?" Merlin looked at the ball with a confused expression, "He could keep you safe. Let you live here with him and you could finally have a life where you didn't have to live in fear. Imagine it Merlin, waking up every morning in a bed so soft that you never wanted to leave, enough food to eat that you were full every day, people around you that you could actually talk too-"

"Stop it." He left the balcony and went back into the room, picking up a few abandoned items along the way to neaten up the place. "Arthur is the Prince and the future King of Camelot, he doesn't have time to worry about a common thief and I don't expect him too. I've caused enough trouble for him."

"Trouble that no longer exists. His Father isn't dead and he hasn't been injured in any way, maybe this way of things happening is better." In a way his companion was right, by never meeting him Arthur had never been shot with dozens of arrows, faced Cedric in a losing battle and never held his dead Father in his arms. However, Merlin couldn't help but wish Arthur could still remember the moments between them, for they were what Merlin treasured most. His memories weren't happy ones, most of them were filled with pain, at least the ones with Arthur had been happy. "You even seem to be closer to him than before."

"That's because he has no idea who I am. If he knew … he wouldn't have been with me last night."

"If I knew what?" Merlin tensed as Arthur's voice came from the opened door and the sound of it closing soon followed. He kept his gaze averted and tried to keep himself busy by making the bed, for he hadn't quite finished when Cedric had turned up earlier. "If I knew what, Emrys?"

"Nothing Sire, forget what you heard."

A hand grasped his and Merlin was forced to turn to face the Prince who looked oddly calm for someone who'd just walked in a conversation about him, the Arthur he knew would be yelling by now. "I think we've done too much for you to call me Sire, I'm just Arthur to you, got that?" Merlin nodded and a soft kiss was pressed to the corner of his mouth, "What don't I know about you Emrys? I think I got to know you very well last night."

"It is nothing important."

"Apparently it is if you two are whispering about it behind closed doors. If you won't tell me maybe _it _will," Arthur turned to look at the floating ball of light and smiled softly. "Would you mind telling me what Emrys here is so afraid of telling me?"

"Don't you dare tell him anything," Merlin glared at his companion and ripped his hand from Arthur's in anger. "If I wanted you to know something I'd tell you. Don't go asking things that are none of your damn business." Walking away from the stunned Prince, Merlin grabbed his jacket from a chair nearby and slipped it on over his arms.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked.

"Home."

"Emrys, don't be silly, stay here for a few more days until you feel better. I won't-"

"Oh I'm feeling more than better and if you dare stop me from leaving you'll see it for yourself." Merlin was half way to the balcony when a small knife flew past his head and lodged itself into the cabinet near the exit point. Had Arthur seriously just thrown something at him?

"At least some to the feast tonight. My Father is holding it in celebration of his friend visiting and I don't want to face it alone. No one will know who you are, for all they know you're another servant who I happen to talk too, a lot." Arthur came up behind him and wrapped his big arms around Merlin's tiny waist, "There are plenty of dark corners we can go too as well if we want to be … alone."

"What makes you think I would want to come to some stupid feast after you just threw a knife at my head?"

"If I had been throwing it at your head you'd be dead, I just wanted to get your attention, now please come to the feast. No one interesting will be there," Arthur pleaded.

"I'll think about it," Merlin muttered and Arthur squeezed his waist happily before releasing him. "Don't get your hopes though." He didn't wait for an answer, instead he ran forward and dropped from the balcony into a nearby pile of hay which he'd spotted earlier. As he slipped out of the castle grounds he couldn't help but wonder where on earth he'd find something decent to wear to this stupid feast.

* * *

Arthur got to his feet as Uther entered the hall and everyone followed suit, most bowing as the King passed. He on the other hand just nodded his head in acknowledgement. Uther may be King but he was just his Dad in Arthur's eyes most of the time. Why did he have to bow to his Father when normal people didn't to their own? Once Uther was at his seat he signaled for everyone to sit.

"Welcome to the feast everyone. This is in honor of Cedric, my good friend, who has returned from his travels in far off lands. He brings stories and knowledge that I'm sure many would love to hear about, however right now we shall eat. Enjoy!"

Looking at all the food Arthur wondered how on earth they'd managed to scrape all this together in a matter of hours, then again, with the amount of servants Cedric had brought with him, this amount of food would have been easy. Lifting his gaze, he studied the servants that surrounded the room. They just stood there, holding plates with drinks on and staring straight ahead. As if they were statues until they were needed. Seen but not heard so to speak.

"Sire," a voice caught his attention and he turned to see Cedric leaning slightly over the table to see Arthur since he was sat on the other side of his Father. "I hear you have been chasing a thief in these parts for quite some time."

"You heard right Cedric," Uther interrupted. "Arthur has been out every night searching for that thief. It's only been recently that he hasn't needed to bother since the thief has vanished into thin air. I believe they finally got bored of being chased night after night."

"I'm surprised to hear you couldn't catch him Sire, you have such young and skilled guards at your disposal, surely one of them got near enough to trap the thief?"

"He was quick and skilled on his feet, my men didn't get a chance to trap him, let alone capture him." Arthur pointed out and frowned down at his food slightly. That was a good point. He had yet to ask Emrys why he had vanished for a month, Arthur had been given no reason and the question had been forgotten as time had gone by.

"He? You think the thief was a man my lord?" Cedric asked with a smile. Damn it. Slip of the tongue.

"I believe it was a man, if could have been a woman, I wouldn't know." Arthur took a sip of his drink and kept his gaze averted, if he wasn't careful then he'd slip up again.

"It doesn't matter anymore, the thief is gone and we can sleep easy at night. Isn't that right Arthur? I bet it was a nuisance chasing down that thief every night." Uther now chipped in and both men looked at Arthur expectantly. He had to say something to convince them that he had no interest in the thief otherwise they'd get suspicious.

"It's a relief I can tell you that. That thief was annoying and their taunts were childish, if I didn't know any better I'd say it was a young teenager trying to rebel. I'll be glad to spend time training with the guards rather than wasting my time on a person who clearly doesn't understand rules and doesn't respect boundaries. I bet they'd turn into a wimp if we'd actually caught them." His Father and friend laughed as Arthur smiled, taking another sip of his drink he turned to look at the guests eating when he noticed someone standing on some stairs in the corner of his eye.

Turning to see who was watching them with such interest, his lips froze on the cup he was drinking from as he met a pair of blue eyes and saw none other than Emrys standing there. He was certainly dressed to impress, no doubt he'd stolen a well tailored outfit for tonight and yet Arthur noticed none of it. All he saw was the look of betrayal covering the thief's face.

Emrys took a few steps backwards up the stairs and the darkness quickly consumed him as the lights in the room casted shadows on the outer corridors. Arthur was on his feet a second later, "If you'll excuse me Sire, I have something I must attend too."

"No, you do not. You will stay here and enjoy the feast, anything else can wait until morning."

"I'm sorry, this can't wait." Arthur didn't wait to get permission and walked quickly from the room, taking the steps two at a time so he could reach the balcony that looked down at the feast below. There he found Emrys who was stood there, looking down at the people below, a look of hatred covering his face. "Emrys, I didn't mean any of that. My Father-"

"It's always about him," Emrys spat and Arthur frowned. What on earth did he mean? "You can never do anything for yourself. You've spent all of your life trying to earn his respect and you don't even dare stand up for what you believe in. You'd have yourself killed in a second if it meant Uther could live."

"Any Son would, that isn't just me."

"What if you had to sacrifice someone else? Say it wasn't you who got killed but another, would you still do it? Would you let another die in the place of your Father-"

"Hello people of Camelot," a voice boomed from below and Arthur went over to the rail to look down himself to see Cedric on his feet. "You have welcomed me into your home and I thank you with all my heart. For not many places are as kind as this, I should know, I've been to most of them. I only wish I could stay here longer than a few days. I just wanted to thank the King personally for allowing me to stay in his home," Cedric smiled down at the King and Arthur held his breath as Cedric looked up at him briefly. "I just wanted to thank the Prince for protecting the streets of this great town … wherever he may be," Cedric looked back at the people as if he hadn't seen Arthur. "Most of all I want to thank my servants. They have always been loyal to me and have helped me in times of great need, I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for every one of them. Especially Merlin."

Glancing over at Emrys to see if he was reacting to anything Cedric said, he saw the boy tense up and if he could see better in the darkness of the balcony, he'd have noticed a shiver come over him as well. Why was Emrys looking at Cedric so fearfully? There was nothing he could do to Emrys and there was no reason why he should.

"I think it is time you see just how loyal my slaves can really be," Arthur wasn't the only one who heard the word slave and Uther got to his feet. However the people who had been seen and not heard started moving, all setting their plates on the tables. Each now drew a sword and Arthur got to see just how many were in the room. Cedric's servants easily had them outnumbered. Especially in such a small area. "For they have all been branded with my mark and that means they follow my orders," Cedric looked up at the balcony, "No matter how far they try to run."

Emrys suddenly let out a yell as he clutched his chest, his legs collapsing beneath him as he fell to his knees and his free hand held onto the rail. Arthur was at his side a moment later and cupping his face, trying to see the cause of his pain. Yet no weapon was seen. Nothing was harming the boy. "Emrys, what's wrong? Can you hear me?"

"Get … away … from me." Emrys panted and winced as more pain flooded through him, his head now resting on Arthur's shoulder as he tried not to make a sound.

"No! Tell me what's wrong. What hurts?" Arthur didn't wait to answer as he ripped the top apart that Emrys clutched and he gasped when his eyes saw his flesh burning. "What the hell!" There was some kind of brand covering his chest and it wasn't the only one. Loads of them covered his skin and went around onto his back, Arthur could also feel heat coming from the thief's legs that touched his own. "Is that his brand? Are you a slave as well?"

"I obey … no … one," Emrys hissed through gritted teeth and let out a yell as another brand mark on his arm began to burn. "Go protect … the King."

Arthur glanced through the rails to see the servants weren't attacking, they just stood there with their swords in hand, all waiting for orders from Cedric who kept his gaze on the balcony. He knew they were up here. Emrys must be one of his slaves and he was waiting to see if he would remain loyal. "The King is fine. They aren't attacking him."

"They don't," Emrys took a deep breath, "need too."

"Why? There is enough of them to kill him and they aren't moving, he's safe."

"Cedric … isn't after …" suddenly Emrys went still, his eyes staring down at the floor as he lifted his head from Arthur's shoulder and his hand dropped from the rail to land on the floor at his side. The smell of burning flesh vanished and Arthur felt a small bit of hope inside him that Emrys was okay. At least until he looked up and Arthur didn't meet blue eyes. He met black ones.


	21. What Do You Feel

***dances* I reached my person goal! Thank you everyone! I appreciate every single review written :)**

**Happy New Year To You All!**

**2011 is going to be a fantastic year.**

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter, plenty of drama**

* * *

Arthur got to his feet as Emrys did, both not leaving the other's gaze and neither acknowledging anyone from below. He knew Cedric was watching, waiting, trying to find out whether he'd succeeded in gaining control over Emrys. Question was; had he? Emrys had yet to act out, there was no sign that he was any danger to anyone in the room, but then he wasn't exactly smiling at Arthur. He was half trying to convince himself that Emrys was just mad about what he'd said. That's why he wasn't smiling. Of course it was.

"Emrys … you okay?"

He suddenly came forward, pushing Arthur into the shadows of the stairs that lead up the balcony and he reached up to stop the hand that surrounded his neck from holding him too tightly. Emrys was pressed up against him now, his black eyes studying Arthur with such interest that he felt like his soul was being searched and apparently Emrys liked what he saw because his grip loosened. "My Master wishes for your death," he whispered.

"And he's getting you to do the dirty work?" A hand rose up and brushed against his cheek, the fingertips gently running across Arthur's lips as he came up with a response. Arthur could see his eyes turning from black to blue slightly, as if he was fighting an inward battle and the darker side was winning. "You obey no one Emrys. You told me that yourself."

"I told you a lot of things … doesn't mean that they are true."

His eyes went gold and Arthur found himself being thrown into the air, flying over the balcony he fell straight towards the hard ground in the middle of the hall. Except what he expected to be stone meeting him, turned into sand and Arthur spat out the grains he had managed to get into his mouth upon impact. Pushing himself up, he got to his feet and looked towards his Father who was sat in his seat with a grim expression.

"We meet again young Prince. How are you enjoying this reality?" Cedric asked as he came forward and Arthur went to reach out to grab him, except his hand met something hard instead. Now focusing on what surrounded him, he found that he was in a glass containing, one that looked awfully like an hour glass he had once seen in Gaius' chambers. There was sand surrounding his legs up until his knees and when he looked up he saw the other half of the hour glass was filled with sand that did not fall. "Interesting how things turned out."

"What have you done to Emrys? Change him back!" Arthur demanded and glared at the sorcerer.

"Is that what he calls himself? Interesting. It seems that he has kept you at a distance this time round. I'm betting he doesn't want to trigger any memories in fear it'll result in your Father's death." Arthur frowned, this man talked in riddles and was making no sense. What memories? "He clearly does not understand that the only way you remember is _if _your Father dies, no memories will surface otherwise. It's like staring at a blank canvas without the blood to use as the paint."

"You dare threaten me?" Uther spoke up now and got to his feet. "I will not be defeated so easily."

"Hush now your majesty, I'm busy talking to your Son." He flicked his hand after touching something that he held in his hand and Uther stopped making a sound, even when he attempted to speak. "Much better, now where was I … Ah Merlin, welcome to the party."

Arthur turned his head to see Emrys emerging from the staircase, the darkness still filling his eyes and his feet barely had to move as he carried himself across the room. "Master," he bowed his head a little and then stood at his side. Like he was second in command and that was where he belonged. "You say he will not remember anything unless his Father is dead?"

"Yes, that's the beauty of the spell. The life cannot be returned unless the death is rewritten in history."

* * *

Cedric changed for bed in the King's chambers as the night took over Camelot. He'd sent Arthur down into the cells after the Prince had refused to tell him where the keys were to get to the jewels he wanted and so Cedric had thought a night without food or warmth might loosen his tongue. Merlin stood by the huge wooden doors and kept his gaze forward, not speaking a word, he hadn't since Arthur had been dragged from the hall.

"You are being awfully quiet Merlin. Has old age made you a mute?"

"No Master, it has not." Cedric glanced over his shoulder at the boy and slowly walked over, his gaze studying every inch of him as he made every step. "Perhaps an early night would do you good. I feel tomorrow will be a long day," Merlin commented as a large hand came to rest on the door behind him.

"Do you not wish to spend time with me? I'm rather curious to find out just what it takes to make you …" Cedric dropped his gaze to Merlin's lips, "Feel. I'm betting that what made you feel anything when you were a younger boy has changed now or maybe, just maybe, only a certain Prince can make you feel things."

"I feel nothing for no one Master, I only live to serve you."

Cedric's free hand drifted across Merlin's stomach, his fingertips pressing on tender spots that had often made Merlin moan as a child, yet nothing happened when he did it now. Merlin just stood there. Neither liking or disliking what Cedric did. It was like he was a statue waiting to be told what to do. "I think you're lying. You desire the Prince's touch, wish it to be his hand drifting across your skin, his lips whispering naughty little things for you to fantasize about. Am I right?"

A blue flash went through Merlin's eyes and it was only because Cedric was looking at the boy's lips that he did not notice the change. "I feel nothing for him. My loyalty is to you."

"Good," lifting his gaze he met the black ones belonging to his slave and Cedric lightly brushed his lips against Merlin's. "Do you remember the nights we spent together Merlin? How with a simple touch I could have you begging for more. How I taught you how to use that mouth of yours to pleasure a man. I'm betting you used those skills when you were with that Prince of yours. I doubt you've had other opportunities to pick up any other skills to use on him."

It was then that an idea came to Cedric. A brilliant idea that no one would suspect was going on and it would mean he'd get exactly what he wanted. Plus the Prince would lose Merlin forever. For the boy would never look at the Prince again after his plan worked out. It was just perfect. With that in mind he pulled away from the slave and smiled. "You know Merlin, you might come in use just yet."

* * *

Did Cedric honestly think a night in the cells would do anything to make Arthur talk? He'd suffered more than this at the hands of his Father. This was nothing. If anything it just gave him more time to devise a plan of attack.

"You've betrayed me! I thought you were my most loyal slave and now you say you care for another?" Arthur lifted his head to see Cedric dragging Emrys by the scruff of the neck down the stairs, the young boy looked terrified and had a dark bruise on his face from a punch someone must have given him. "You can rot in here for all I care."

His cell door opened and Emrys was thrown in, his body landing in a pile near Arthur's feet. "You are worthless to me!" The cell door was slammed shut and locked, the sound of footsteps leaving soon fading away as Cedric returned to his chambers.

Reaching forward, Arthur gently put his hand on the thief's shoulder, "Are you okay?" No response came. Instead Emrys sat up and kept his gaze on the floor, his breathing becoming lighter as he calmed down. "Are you no longer under his spell? Did he hurt you? What was he talking about when he said about my father dying and me getting back some memories? Why did he call you Merlin? Have you been lying about who-"

Lips silenced him as Emrys initiated a kiss. Hands cupped Arthur's face as Emrys knelt between his legs and deepened the kiss, no words being said about why he was now down here when last time Arthur checked, Emrys had been under a spell. When Emrys went to remove Arthur's top, he didn't even bother to stop him and soon found himself with a bare back pressed against the cold stone wall and two warm hands sliding across his chest.

"What do you want from me Arthur?" Emrys softly whispered against his lips and broke apart from him, his blue eyes meeting his as he smiled softly. "I know that I am but a common thief, that I can't be anything to you when you become King, but I want to do things for you whilst I still can. Tell me what you want and I'll do it. Anything."

"Emrys I don't-"

Arthur gasped as a hand pressed down on his trousers and he felt warmth spread through him as Emrys used his magic to make him feel things that shouldn't be felt all at the same time. The amount of places the magic touched, teased, it was enough to drive any person insane with just one of those places being touched, with all of them, Arthur could barely think straight. "I can do things to you that no other can. Tell me, what do you feel when I do this?"

Soft lips pressed against his chest and Emrys nibbled on his skin with his teeth, using just the right amount of pressure to make moans come from the Prince. Why was Emrys suddenly acting this way? They were in the middle of an enemy taking over Camelot and he wanted to … well, Arthur could only imagine what he wanted to do. The way he was acting Arthur felt like the boy would do just about anything to pleasure him right now.

"What do you feel?" Emrys repeated.

"I feel …" Arthur bit his lower lip as Emrys cast a spell to rid him of all his clothing, another spell was cast so that Arthur was lifted onto his feet and pressed against the wall. If he wasn't feeling like he did, he'd demand that Emrys stopped, that the control he had right now was too much. However no sane person would be able to tell someone to stop when he was doing what he did with his magic. Only when he felt a firm grip go around his arousal did his head fall back against the wall, "I feel out of this world."

"Perfect."

* * *

"Wow … that was … I can't put it into words." Arthur looked over at Emrys who had moved to sit back against another wall and he saw that the thief looked oddly upset. "Emrys? What's wrong?" Grabbing his trousers he slipped them on before crawling over to him, tipping his head up to meet the sad gaze that almost broke his heart in two. "Tell me."

"I can't … he'll hurt me." He didn't have to say a name for Arthur to know who he was talking about.

"I'll protect you. Tell me what's wrong. A problem shared is a problem halved."

"I've been running for so long Arthur and I've finally found a place I want to stay in, with you. What if he takes that from me? He could win this Arthur. He has powers that none of us can fight against."

"He won't get what he wants Emrys, I promise. I'll never tell him about the whereabouts of the keys. He'll soon get bored and move on, then you can stay here, I won't let him take you from me." Arthur wiped away one of the falling tears and smiled, "I don't let people I care about get taken."

Emrys gave him a pathetic smile and sighed, "I just hope wherever you've hidden them is good hiding place. He's smart. It won't take him long to check the entire palace." One of his hands grabbed Arthur's and held it tightly, "Please tell me it's hidden somewhere safe."

"It's hidden in a room which you can't get too unless you tilt a book on the shelves in my room. Not even he would think to look there," Arthur pressed a light kiss to his lips. "This will all work out. Only you and me know about the keys whereabouts and I trust you not to talk."

"Oh you are a fool young Pendragon," a strangers voice left the thief's lips and Arthur pulled back in confusion. "You can't even tell the difference between me and your little thief." Emrys got to his feet and Arthur felt his breath catch in his throat as magic began to swirl around his body. "How heartbroken he will be when he finds out." Suddenly it wasn't Emrys stood in front of him. It was Cedric.

"No! It wasn't you … it couldn't be you, he touched me like he touched me that night. Yes, with more intensity, but every touch was his own. I would be able to tell the difference," Arthur claimed and got to his feet.

"Arthur, who do you think taught him those things? He knew how to pleasure you because I taught him how to pleasure me, that's what a slave does."

"A slave shouldn't be used in that way. If you need to get off from something, pay for the services of a woman. He wouldn't have known it was wrong."

"Oh he did, he fought back for years, it was only in his last year that I broke him, and when I broke him, oh I broke him good. I taught him things that would make you squirm," Cedric came forward and forced Arthur to take a step back from how close they stood. "Thanks for telling me where the keys are. It has saved me a lot of time and effort. Sleep well. Tonight will be your last night alive. Tomorrow I'll have him kill you."

"Emrys won't kill me. Not even whilst he's under your spell."

"Maybe … but after he hears from me how much you begged me to pleasure you, he'll ask to torture you first. He doesn't take it well when he gets betrayed. I believe _fire _will be involved," the cell door closed as Cedric left Arthur standing there. "Goodnight Arthur, pleasant dreams. I had fun."


	22. A New Host

**I am very sad to say that I won't be updating as frequently as I have been during the holidays, exams are coming up and I can't afford to mess them up because I'm writing for STH. Even though I enjoy writing it so much. Updates will be done, just not every day XP**

**Warning; italic writing is when people talk via the mind =)**

**I also have no idea how many people are reading this anymore, for some reason story traffic isn't working for me so I just hope I have some readers left.**

**Enjoy and R&R please**

* * *

Arthur was dragged from his cell early the next morning and was taken down into the lower levels of the castle. Only when he was stood in front of a large oak door did he realise where he'd been taken too. This was where the keys would be used. Through this door was the treasures the King only let his bloodline see. Cedric would be the first non-Pendragon to ever see those treasures and the look on his face let Arthur know that the man knew it. Emrys on the other hand stood by his side silently.

"Emrys-"

"Do not speak Pendragon, now isn't the time for that. I just wanted you to be here so I could see the look on your face when you realise you're not getting Camelot back." Cedric smiled happily and slid the key into the lock, turning it with some effort as the lock itself was old and rusty. "Can you imagine what's in there?" He seemed to be talking to himself now. "The power the jewels will possess! No one will be able to stop me. I'll be the most powerful sorcerer in the world. I could have anything I wanted."

Moving his gaze from Cedric, Arthur looked at Emrys who he only now just noticed was studying him with interest, his dark eyes darting over his body as if trying to remember every detail. _"You fear for your people that live in this land." _Arthur heard Emrys talking but his lips didn't move and no expression was made to indicate anything was being shared between them, _"Now you look puzzled."_

"_How are you doing this?" _Arthur knew it was crazy to think someone could communicate telepathically but he'd take anything if it meant talking to Emrys. He had to explain what had happened last night before Cedric twisted his words to make it sound like Arthur knew it was him, not Emrys. _"Look, I need-"_

"_You are too late. My Master has informed me of what occurred last night. What interested me the most was that you would act that way around me. Why were you intimate with who you thought was me?"_

"_Do you not remember-"_

"Pendragon, pay attention!" Cedric broke their conversation and Arthur's eyes focused on the man now stood an inch from him. How had he not noticed that? "We're going in. No funny business, otherwise I'll have my slave kill you now, understand?" Arthur nodded.

"_You are very obedient," _Emrys commented and Arthur saw in the corner of his eye that he was smirking before he was pushed through the now open door. He held his breath as he took in what he saw. They were in one of the biggest tombs he'd ever seen, it was filled to the brim with treasures he'd seen his Father send down here and other treasures that any King would protect. You'd be the richest man in the world if you possessed all of this.

"Yes!" Cedric ran forward and approached a chest filled with jewels, all a different colour and although Arthur did not have any magic of his own, even he could sense how powerful those jewels were. "I have finally found you. After all this time …" he picked one up with his shaking hand and Arthur watched as the colour vanished from the jewel. Cedric now stood taller than before. "Such power from one simple jewel."

"_Your Kingdom is safe Pendragon."_

Arthur snapped his head in the direction of Emrys who had walked over to a nearby wall, his hand gently pressed against it and fascination in his gaze as he studied the markings beneath his fingertips. _"How can we be safe? Cedric will gain the power needed to take whatever he wants."_

"_And you're going to let him?"_

"_I can't take on all these people by myself. I'm not you, I can't flick my hand and make them all disappear." _Arthur felt the hands around his arms loosen and he glanced at the two boys who had been holding him tightly, each now having a small smile on their lips. _"What's going on? Tell me."_

"_A Master will never truly gain the loyalty of his subjects if he does not treat them right. We are tired of being treated like animals who are only there to obey him. Our Master will fail in his quest and you will take your place on the throne as your Father will not last much longer."_

"_My father-"_

"_Will die the moment Cedric does. For that I am sorry but his spell is what keeps the King alive."_

"Merlin," Cedric held a few more jewels in his hands as he turned away from the chest. "What are you saying to the young Prince? I have enough power to sense when people talk like you are doing with him. Are you betraying me?" Cedric approached the warlock slowly and his eyes thinned when he didn't respond, apparently he wasn't used to a slave disobeying orders. "I am your Master and you will answer my question. What were you saying to him?"

"You haven't been my Master for a long time Cedric," Emrys casually strolled over to Arthur and lightly ran his fingertips down the side of his face.

"Mer-"

"I am no longer Merlin," Emrys responded and Arthur felt a flicker of hope in his heart. _"I am not Emrys either." _That hope was quickly lost. "You used a spell that would control any person who had your brand on their flesh. However you cannot control the magic that flows through my veins. The person that I was has been pushed aside by your spell so that I can take his place."

"I don't understand," Arthur muttered.

"Emrys is inside me right now. He let his magic take over to protect himself, it is what he has done for many years, especially when in the hands of Cedric. He often let me take his place as he could no longer take the torment of being in this reality. I'm his safeguard in a way. Cedric may think he's our Master, but he is not." The fingertips left his cheek to be replaced with a palm, "I just followed orders so I could get down here. To stop him. You understand?"

"Will Emrys come back?"

"That is up to him but I believe he will. After all, this is the first time he's had something to come back for."

"If you are what appears when he no longer can face the pain of this world, isn't that unfair on you? Surely-"

"I feel nothing. I am magic. Magic cannot feel anything."

"If I cannot control you with one spell then I shall become more powerful than you!" Cedric suddenly spoke up and Arthur looked over the man's shoulder to see the sorcerer grasp most of the jewels. The colour fading from them instantly.

"_We are doomed,"_ Arthur thought and noticed 'Emrys' hadn't taken his gaze away from the Prince. _"Are you not worried that he could hurt you with all that power."_

"_He was not built for such power. Cedric will die and the power will seek a new host since the magic will no longer be able to be contained in the jewels after being released." _A soft kiss was pressed to Arthur's cheek and he tensed, wondering why 'Emrys' was acting in such a way. If he was not Emrys, then why did he act with such affection._ "Even magic can become fond of someone."_

"_I thought you said you felt nothing."_

"_When an emotion is strong enough, I feel it. Merlin cares greatly for you."_

Arthur was about to question him further but 'Emrys' was thrown against him as the magic began leaving Cedric, a loud scream was coming from the man as he clutched his head between his hands. Falling to his knees, Arthur held 'Emrys' up by the shoulders and kept him steady as the magic soared into him. "Are you built to take on this much power?" Arthur asked worriedly and 'Emrys' tensed, now grasping his hand tightly as his eyes lifted to meet his. "Your eyes!"

His eyes were no longer black, they were a light blue that shone brightly as more magic hit his body, the magic no longer in control of his body. "You're back!" Arthur exclaimed and Emrys smiled at him goofily.

"The magic isn't letting me hide anymore," he whispered and squeezed Arthur's hand tightly. "I'm sorry," Emrys added and gasped as one of the larger sparks of magic hit him.

"For what?"

"Your Father. Me. Everything." Arthur watched as the brand marks covering Emrys began to fade, the magic now inside him enough to heal them and his body becoming stronger as more went into him. "All the things I've done, every action I take, it's all been for you. You gave me a reason to live and I can never thank you enough for that."

"You talk as if I'll never see you again Em-"

"Merlin," Emrys interrupted and Arthur raised an eyebrow in confusion. That was the name Cedric had been calling him. "My name is Merlin. Emrys is a cover name."

"Why lie to me?"

"I was afraid it would trigger your memories. I didn't know it would take Cedric or your Father dying for them to return. I didn't want to make you suffer." Merlin glanced over his shoulder and saw Cedric pushing himself to his feet. "And I fear you will hate me for what I must do."

"Nothing you can do would make me hate you Em-" Arthur paused and then smirked, "Merlin."

Merlin suddenly came forward and pressed his lips forcefully to Arthur's, causing Arthur to fall back against the ground with the thief lying on top of him. He forgot for a moment where they were, that Cedric could still attack and he still had slaves standing around them. All he could focus on was the person in his arms who kissed him like it was the end. As if they'd never share another kiss._ "I'm sorry,"_ came a soft voice in his mind and the weight of the body on him vanished.

Sitting up abruptly, he looked to see Merlin walking towards Cedric, the magic still going into him through his chest. Cedric on the other hand seemed to age as the magic left him. His body weak with fatigue. "You cannot do this to me! I am your Master. I taught you everything you know. I am the reason you didn't rot on the streets like a street rat."

"You are the reason I can't sleep at night, trust anyone and have to move from place to place just so you can't find me. I owe you nothing. You are no one and the world is better off without you." Merlin then took a step back from Cedric, "I don't, however, have to do anything so that your life will end. You have done that to yourself."

Cedric went to throw a punch at Merlin's face and Arthur was getting to his feet to go help the young boy, except the hit never came. Instead the man fell forward and landed face down at Merlin's feet, the last of the magic flowing into him as the last breath came from Cedric's lips. As Arthur felt the joy of defeating such a man, another emotion hit him. Sadness. His entire body felt weak and tears began to fall from his eyes as the memories began to surface, it wasn't until Merlin was looking down at him did he realise he had fallen to the floor.

"What's happening?" Arthur managed to get out as the sadness overwhelmed him.

"You are remembering what I wished you'd never have to remember," his hand brushed the golden locks from Arthur's forehead and there was as much sadness covering Merlin's face as there was Arthur's. "I'm sorry, my Prince, but there is nothing I can do. Just know that everything will be okay. You will be okay. I promise that-" Arthur didn't hear the rest of the words as the memories flooded his mind and reality went black.


	23. Loving The King

**Okay, I lied. I will be updating, just whenever I have the time or I'm angry which is usually when I write my best stuff. Since I'm angry, here's an update! It's short. Not very dramatic. But once again leaves you on a cliffhanger.**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! As most of you have guessed, this story is coming to a finish very soon and I'll either write a sequel or another story.**

**Enjoy and R&R**

* * *

Merlin stood out on the balcony and took in a deep breath of fresh air as the sun rose over Camelot. The light hit the tallest of buildings first and he watched in fascination as the streets began to fill with the early morning risers as they started their jobs for the day. He wondered what it was like to be one of them. Then again, to be one of them would meant he'd never have met Arthur and that was something he wouldn't trade for anything.

"_Emrys, you made a promise to me."_

A sigh left his lips as the dragon spoke to him in his mind. It had been a few days and Merlin had managed to ignore the beckoning of the beast, somehow he knew that he couldn't put it off much longer. _"Give me another day. Arthur will wake in a few minutes and will have questions. I cannot let him awaken alone after what he has remembered."_

"_Then you will come young warlock."_

"_Yes … then I will come."_

The dragon's presence left his mind and Merlin could breathe easily once more, at least until he heard the Prince moving in his bed. He was waking up. Now Merlin would face the questions, the expressions Arthur would have as he remembered what had happened and then Merlin would be sent way. That ending wasn't a question. The Prince's life had been a mess since Merlin had come into his life and it would be easier for him if Merlin left. Indefinitely.

"Merlin?"

Taking a deep breath, Merlin hid the look of sadness on his face and put a smile on, he didn't want Arthur to know how upset their separation would make him. Turning, he walked back into the room and watched as the Prince sat up in bed. "Good morning my Prince," he greeted and Arthur looked over at him with confused eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I…" the Prince paused for a moment and Merlin knew the exact moment he remembered what had happened. So many emotions crossed his face that Merlin couldn't keep track of all of them. "Cedric … he's-"

"Dead."

"My Father too?" Arthur asked and Merlin gave a small nod. Walking over to the side of the bed, Merlin perched on the side and waited for the Prince to speak. Anything to give him an indication on how he was doing. "You died so he could live …"

"I died so you could be happy." Merlin paused for a moment and then tipped his head to the side a little, "Besides, it didn't turn out so bad. I still got to see you didn't I? We even got to spend the night together," Merlin smiled in hopes of getting a smile out of Arthur but failed. "Do you want me to get you some food or something? You've been asleep for a few days and your body is probably weak. You'd be surprised how much food is actually down in those kitchens, I went down there for a snack and-"

He didn't get to finish since Arthur was throwing himself at Merlin a moment later. Two strong arms wound around his neck and Merlin had to push against the floor with his feet to stop himself falling back. At first he just sat there with a shocked expression on his face, then he put his arms around Arthur and held him just as tightly. Arthur remembered everything, all their times together, the moments they shared, the stories they told. He was the man Merlin had fallen in love with. Arthur was back.

"I've missed you," Merlin whispered and clutched the back of the top Arthur wore. Hating the fact he knew he'd have to let go. This was no place for a guy like him. Especially when Arthur would have to take up his rightful place on the throne. In spite of that, Merlin couldn't imagine being anywhere but in Arthur's arms, laughing with him, talking with him, _being _with him. He'd finally found a place he was happy in and he would have to let it go so soon after getting it back. It wasn't fair.

"Don't you ever do something so stupid again, you hear?" Arthur told him firmly and he hid the slight pain that Arthur caused as he grasped his hair between his fingers. "I offered my life for his, not yours. It was not your burden to bear."

"Arthur-"

"Just shut up," Merlin heard before hard lips pressed against his own.

* * *

How could one man be so stupid? Did Merlin honestly think that it was better for him to die when it had been Arthur's fault that his Father had died? The world needed more people like Merlin in it. Arthur was just another Prince and if he died, Morgana would take his place. Simple as. No one could replace Merlin.

He couldn't help but pout as Merlin broke the kiss by gently pushing against his chest. It was their first moment together after everything and he wanted to cut it short, what gives?

"You need to rest Arthur. You've been through a lot," Merlin told him and got to his feet. "If you don't have any questions I'll go and get you something to eat. Morgana will be here any minute for her morning visit and she can't see me when she gets here."

"They don't know about you?" Arthur questioned.

"What is there to know?"

"Merlin, you saved Camelot, defeated Cedric and sacrificed yourself for my Father. You don't need to hide in the shadows anymore. You're safe," Arthur was already getting out of bed to reach out to Merlin. He may be smiling but Arthur could tell the young thief was sad, his eyes told him everything. "You can stay here with me in the palace-"

"And what? Hide in your chambers whilst you do Kingly things and then be with you at night? I'm sorry, I can't do that. I enjoy being out in the open, running around on the rooftops and playing with the children in the streets. It's who I am."

"I wouldn't want to change that. You can do all that. All that would change would be you slept here, with me, well maybe not sleeping, but you know what I mean." Arthur reached forward to grasp Merlin's hand but it was brushed away, causing him to frown. "Stop being like this. We are finally-"

"Make sure you bring him some food, you just know that when Arthur wakes up he'll -" the door banged open upon Morgana's arrival and a huge smile spread across her face "-Arthur!" Running at him, she threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly, her feet now hanging in the air from the height difference. "You're awake! I knew you would be okay. I mean, the guards had their doubts, but I knew you'd be fine. Take's a lot more than an evil sorcerer to take you down, isn't that right?"

"Yeah," Arthur set her down and glanced over his shoulder to see Merlin was nowhere in sight. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. It's you we've all been worried about. Camelot has been in chaos since …" Morgana drifted off as the reminder of their Father no longer being there surfaced. Arthur pulled her back into the shelter of his arms and held her as she shed the tears she'd no doubt been holding back. Morgana was never one to cry and had often confided in Arthur when she got to breaking point. Just like now.

"It's fine. Every thing is going to be fine, Morgana. I promise."

* * *

He watched from the balcony as Arthur embraced her sister tightly, maybe he didn't realise it, but he too was shedding tears from the grief of losing their father. Merlin wished he could comfort him, hold him like he held Morgana, except he couldn't. Those two needed each other now more than ever and he wouldn't be the one to stop that.

"_Protect her. You're all she's got now."_

Arthur looked back at him and remained still, his gaze never faltering as the tears fell down his cheeks. _"You are all that I have. Why do I have the feeling that you're leaving?"_

"_I am,"_ Merlin spoke to him softly now and Arthur went to step towards him, except the person in his arms prevented him from doing so. _"I'll watch over you Arthur. I'll be there when you need me and I know you'll become a great King. The greatest King Camelot has ever known. You will find love and have a family of your own, your children will tell stories about you and thus will begin the legends of Arthur Pendragon."_

"_And what about you? How will people remember you?"_

"_They won't. I'm just a common thief and have little importance."_

"_You are so much more than that to me. Merlin I lo-"_

"_Don't." _He felt his heart twist in his chest as he held back his own tears, _"The words don't have to be spoken for me to know how you feel." _Seeing the guards cross the bridge into the courtyard, Merlin knew his time was up and he smiled over at the Prince who had yet to speak again. _"I love you Arthur Pendragon and I will never forget you."_

Merlin Emrys then vanished off the Arthur's balcony and the Prince could do nothing more but cry as he held his sister. No longer mourning his Father but for the boy who he knew could never be his.


	24. Masked Magician

**I'm very sad to say there will only be one more chapter after this. It's been a great story to write and I already have another one planned out. Another Disney if anyone likes that kind of thing. **

**I want to thank every single person who has read this story, reviewed it, favourite it or put it on story alert. Every one of you is the reason why I enjoy writing, because I like knowing people are enjoying my story.**

**Enough of that, no doubt my last chapter will have a speech in it.**

**Please Enjoy and R&R **

* * *

Merlin stared at the wooden door silently, his hands at his side as he tried to find the courage to reach forward and finish what he started. He'd come back like promised. Beyond this door would be the awaiting dragon and Merlin was the only one who could release it after the King had died. He was half tempted to leave it down there, however a promise was a promise and Merlin wasn't the kind of guy to break promises. So, taking a deep breath, he reached for the handle and pushed open the door.

"Young warlock, you came."

"I promised didn't I?" He didn't need to utter a word to cast a spell since the incident in the tomb, enough power was now flowing through him that he could do pretty much anything and the spells that once caused him trouble were now second nature. So as his eyes turned golden, a boulder came up to the ledge where he stepped onto it and let it take him down onto the ground.

"Not many people I know keep promises to me."

"I'm not people."

Jumping off the boulder, Merlin looked up at the beast and saw the anticipation in it's eyes. It was ready to leave and Merlin didn't blame it. No creature should have to be kept locked up, he knew that better than anyone and he wouldn't leave it here when he could easily set it free.

"Your heart is screaming Emrys,"the dragon said and Merlin tried to ignore the pain that hadn't faded since leaving Arthur in his chambers. "You believe that Arthur does not need you by his side to become King." It wasn't a question, the dragon spoke like it knew Merlins thoughts.

"If you haven't heard, Arthur is already King, the ceremony will no doubt be later today to make it official." Walking over to one side of the cavern, Merlin noticed some markings on the wall and by the way they were shaped, he could tell the marks belonged to the dragons claws. Like it had attempted to dig it's way out. "The King doesn't need someone like me in his life."

"Someone like you?"

"A street rat," he repeated the words that had been told to him over the years by many people. Cedric hadn't been the only one to refer to him like that. "His Kingdom does not permit magic. I am a wanted thief and a sorcerer, even without the charge of kidnapping him, I'd be sentenced to death."

"You would have been by Uther. Arthur-"

"Shouldn't have to change all that his Father lived for, just for one person. Uther may have been wrong about a lot of things but he made Camelot one of the greatest Kingdoms of the land, Arthur will make it greater with the people he has around him and I will watch over him to keep him safe."

"Like a shadow."

"Yes … like a shadow," Merlin whispered and then turned to look at the dragon once more. "Where will you go?"

"I will go wherever the wind takes me. Now free me young warlock, I have waited many years for this day to come and I am growing inpatient." Merlin pressed his back against the wall as the dragon got to it's feet and glared down at him, "Release me like promised."

"You must swear not to harm Camelot."

"I have no motive to go against the new King. He has done nothing to me. I will leave and never return, but I'm sure our paths will cross again."

Merlin looked down at the chain around one of it's ankles and closed his eyes, praying the dragon kept his word. He did not want to have to harm such a beautiful creature in order to protect the man he had grown to love. Raising his hand, he felt the magic come to life inside him as he whispered, "**Rúmgál.**"

The sound of the chain breaking was all Merlin heard before a gust of wind blew him off his feet and his back smashed against the wall, his eyes fixated on the dragon that now flew into the air to break the ground above it. Merlin knew it lead to the land outside the castle grounds, he'd already thought of that when coming to release it, now there was just a huge hole in the ground where the sun beamed down on him. As if thanking him for releasing the dragon.

He had done everything that had needed to be done. Merlin was free to do as he wished. Summoning his companion, Merlin smiled at the ball and got to his feet. "Where shall we go next?" It asked and Merlin shrugged, he could anywhere and do anything. The skies the limit.

* * *

"You seem upset Arthur," Morgana broke the new King's thoughts that evening as she joined him on the balcony. "I would have thought you'd be rubbing my nose in the fact that you can now order me around. Even have me executed."

Arthur turned his gaze away from the stars to the beautiful woman stood by his side. Who knew that his brat of a sister who used to run around the castle like a possessed creature could turn out like she had. Any man would be lucky to have her. Even without her looks. "Well I need someone to muck out my stables. You couldn't do that if I had you killed now could I?"

"Very funny," she came closer to him and gently rested her hand over his heart. "I have not seen a single smile on your face since … our Father's death. You have an entire hall filled downstairs with people who have come to see you. It is your birthday after all. Do you not want to see what they have brought for you?"

"Has one of them wrapped a tall, dark, handsome young man, with the bluest eyes anyone could ever see?" When Morgana raised an eyebrow in question, he smiled a little, "It was a joke. I don't care what they have given me. Nothing they have is what I want."

"Then what does the King of Camelot want?"

_Merlin._

There was no question about that. It had only been a few weeks since he'd last seen him and every moment that went past, Arthur felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest just a little bit more. How could he possibly run a Kingdom when he could barely think about anything else. He had thought that once he lifted the charges off Merlin and decreed that magic was permitted under set rules, that he might come back. That after he knew he was safe, Camelot could be his new home.

Yet there was no sign of the man. Not even of that annoying ball thing that hovered beside him constantly.

"You at least have to make an appearance," Morgana teased and lifted his mask that hung around his neck to place it on his face. "If anything, just to show off this mask." His mask was a dark red with his crest on the side, not very mind blowing but attractive all the same. Morgana had made it for him. "Come on. Don't make me get Leon to drag you out there."

Arthur rolled his eyes and let her drag him down the stairs to the main hall, the doors opened the moment they approached and he let a smile come to his face as everyone clapped. Let them think he was okay. After all, he was the King.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please raise your glasses in celebration for our King's birthday!" Morgana said to the now silent room and Arthur watched as all the guests did so. He barely recognised anyone with their masks on. That was the point. Arthur didn't want to see all their happy faces when he could barely keep the smile on his face. "Go say hello to people," Morgana shoved him forward and he was immediately swarmed with people.

He put up with the conversations for a few hours, knowing that Morgana wouldn't dare let him leave until he talked to every single person. The only break he got was when he excused himself to get something to eat from the buffet table. Arthur would probably be working out tomorrow to get rid of all the food he was consuming just to escape talking to people.

"You look like you are doing well Sire," Gwen's voice spoke from a masked figure and he genuinely smiled when he saw she had her hand interlocked with another man. "This is Lancelot … my … friend," friends didn't hold hands like that but Arthur wouldn't comment.

"It's an honor to meet you Sire, I have heard so much about you."

"Please, call me Arthur, at least for tonight. No formalities on my birthday," he picked up another snack and turned to look at the crowd as the other two carried on talking.

"I was wondering whether I could try out to be a knight Sire?" This got a little bit of his attention, "I am good with a sword and can hold my own in a fight. Gwen tells me you are letting commoners try out who are not of royal blood. I-"

His voice went silent as Arthur noticed a figure standing on the far side of the room in the shadows. They wore a mask that was jet black and had stars covering it to give the appearance of the night sky. Whoever it was also wore black clothes that had matching stars covering it. If they wanted to blend in, they had failed. _"You are ignoring your guests," _the voice in his head shocked him so much that he took a step back and his legs banged against the table of food.

"Are you okay Sire?" Gwen asked worriedly.

"I am fine. If you'll excuse me, there is someone I have yet to greet." Ignoring the looks he received from the two, Arthur gently pushed people aside to reach the other side of the hall, his goal clear. Only when he was a few feet away did he finally know who it was. "You came," he said as he reached the man and a goofy smile appeared beneath the mask.

"Couldn't miss your birthday now, could I?"

"Are you staying?" Arthur dared to ask.

"I'm afraid not. I only came to wish you a happy birthday and drop off your gift. It's with the others at the back of the room. You'll know it's from me when you see it," Merlin pushed himself away from the wall and brushed off his clothes. "I have stayed too long already. Have a wonderful evening-"

"A dance," Arthur interrupted and grasped Merlin's hand tightly. "I know I cannot make you stay anywhere that you don't want to be. I am the King however and order you to dance with me, at least once before you go."

"You know full well that I don't take orders from anyone," Merlin replied.

Arthur pulled him up against him and smiled, "I won't take no for an answer." Turning quickly, Arthur lead Merlin by the hand to the middle of the dance floor, people parted to let them through without a second thought. Only when Arthur was happy where they were, did he turn and bring Merlin into his arms for a slow dance.

"People are watching," Merlin muttered and Arthur laughed under his breath. Who knew Merlin embarrassed this easily when showing affection in front of people.

"Pretend they're not here," Arthur said and brought him closer. Resting his cheek against Merlin's, he closed his eyes and let his feet lead the dance. "It's just you and me," he whispered in his ear and felt the ache that had been in his heart for weeks begin to fade. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Merlin admitted back and the arms around his waist tightened. Even the hands on his back gripped the material as if they'd never let go. Arthur was fine with that. He would die happy if things ended right now. "I wasn't going to come tonight … I didn't think I could handle seeing you whilst knowing I'd have to leave again."

"I'm glad you came. You don't have to go you know, everything is different now, you're no longer a wanted man."

"But I can't be by your side the way I want to be," Merlin pulled away and Arthur had to grab him by the arm to stop him moving away further. "I shouldn't even be dancing with you. This was never going to work Arthur, you need a woman at your side, an heir, I can give you none of those things." Arthur watched as Merlin looked at the people watching them and he took a step back as Arthur stepped forward, "It was a mistake coming here tonight."

Arthur's grip was shoved off by some unseen force and he didn't have to see Merlin's eyes to see he'd used magic. The boy was beginning to walk towards the two big doors that would take him away from all these prying eyes. They whispered about who he could be and that he had no right to dance with the King like that. Everyone judged him without even knowing him.

"Merlin Emrys, I order you to stop!" Arthur yelled and the room went dead silent, even Morgana stopped talking which was a first. "You are forbidden from ever leaving Camelot. You will stay at my side and everyone will treat you like my equal." Merlin turned on the spot and glared at him after being given orders, if there was one way to get his attention, it was to make him do things he didn't have a choice about. "And let the whole of Camelot know that this man is the one I lo-"

His voice was drowned out by the sound of a loud roar coming from outside and everyone turned to look at the windows. A shadow appeared beyond the glass and Arthur felt his entire body turn ice cold.


	25. Camelot's protector

**So here we are, the end. 25 chapters, 50000+ words and 1 month later. Thank you to EVERYONE who has read this entire story. Some of you have been here and reviewing from the start, I would thank every one of you amazing people but that would take too long and I'm way too excited to start writing this final chapter.**

**I hope this story has lived up to your expectations. That you enjoy the final moments our boys have and that I don't receive any reviews screaming at me for ruining it :S**

**My next story will be based on Pocahontas and I will probably get the first chapter up tonight or tomorrow. Please give it a read if you have time.**

**Enjoy and if you haven't reviewed yet, now will be your last chance :) Obviously you don't have too. I just hope if you're reading this that you enjoyed it.**

* * *

The whole room shuddered as whatever was out there landed on the roof, the roar deafening enough that Arthur covered his ears and looked at the ceiling where cracks began to form. No one made a sound as the beast quietened down. Everyone simply stood there. Waiting. Watching. Praying that whatever it was would leave before any harm was done. Arthur feared that whatever was out there could hear how fast and loud his heart was beating, it was taking a lot not to start moving people to safer rooms. For now they could only remain quiet and hope it would leave.

Minutes passed and he felt a small hand grasp his own, turning his head he saw Morgana now stood at his side with eyes wider than he'd ever seen. She was terrified. No doubt just like everyone else in there. Most of them had left their loved ones at home to come here and there was no way to get to them unless they went outside. No sane person would go out there right now.

At the thought of people's loved ones however, he looked towards the doors to see Merlin stood perfectly still and staring at the window. There was an expression across his face that Arthur barely recognised and only when Merlin took off his mask did Arthur feel his heart sink. Merlin looked so serious. Like whatever was outside was a serious threat and that he knew something Arthur didn't.

Suddenly the world seemed to shift as the beast crashed down against the roof again with an almighty roar and the entire room went into panic. People began to run around, trying to find their partners so that they could leave, even Morgana left him to go in search of someone. Arthur in the meantime felt that he needed to reach Merlin. That he wouldn't be safe until he had his arms wrapped around that man.

Except through the crowd he could see Merlin turning, but not towards him. No, Merlin was turning to face the door and he was walking through it a second later. "MERLIN!" Arthur yelled and pushed past people as they ran about, his entire focus on getting to that door. He didn't even notice the cracks forming on the castle walls, that his friends were scared and needed their King to help them. "MERLIN!" He couldn't help but yell louder as the people swamped him and began to force him away from the door. "Get off me!"

"Sire," a deep voice said and he looked to see Lancelot standing there with Gwen at his side. "We need to get you to safety. It is not safe here. Camelot is under attack."

"I have to get outside. He needs me!" Arthur replied. However, instead of helping Arthur get closer to his destination, Lancelot grasped his arm and pulled him away from the door. Along with a couple of other men who had spotted the King heading towards the danger. "I order you to let me go!"

"Sorry Sire, this is for your own good. We must protect you above all else."

As Arthur was pulled into a side door, he struggled against the hold and kept his eyes focused on the door, willing Merlin to walk back through. To come back to him. Merlin was the type of guy who would go out there and face whatever was attacking the palace, even if it meant risking his life. Arthur refused to let him face it alone. Merlin didn't have to be alone anymore.

"I will have _all _of you executed if you don't release me this instant," Arthur threatened and fought them off even more as the door was shut behind them. The mass of scared people outside now no longer in sight. Wherever they were taking him, he'd get out, because he wasn't going to sit around and do nothing whilst the man he loved risked his life for every person in Camelot who didn't even know who he was.

* * *

Stepping out into the courtyard, Merlin looked up at the palace roof and saw the dragon sat there with a smile on its face. As if satisfied that it had gotten Merlin's attention. "You swore to me that you would cause no harm to Camelot. Not whilst Arthur was King. He has done nothing to you and this is how you repay his kindness?"

"A dragon is not allowed to change its mind?"

"No! Not when you know that I'll have to stop you."

"Stop me? Please Merlin, do not insult me. I have more power than you will ever have and you alone cannot stop me. I have come for my revenge against those who murdered my kind for money. I am the last of my breed and that will not be ignored."

"So you wish to destroy Camelot? Act like those people who destroyed your home?"

"An eye for an eye, young warlock."

Merlin sensed the dragon was going to carry on, however it's gaze traveled past Merlin and looked at something. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw someone small hiding behind a barrel that had fallen off a wagon as the owner had fled the scene. Whoever it was shook with so much fear that when their eyes met the dragon's, a small whimper left their lips and they ran from their hiding spot.

Freya.

"Ah, a treat." Everything went in slow motion as Merlin looked back at the dragon, it had gotten back to it's feet and was looking like it was about to take flight. What it was about to go after was clear.

Merlin felt like he was back at the scene all that time ago when Arthur had been in the hands of Cedric, when he had been too far to reach him and there had been nothing he could do. However now there was no sorcerer who could change history. If that dragon managed to get near the running little girl, that would be it. No rewinds.

"Freya!" He was already running, his feet taking him faster than ever as he ran towards her as she attempted to reach the bridge, obviously her home the only place she thought to go. "Don't," he whispered as he heard the dragon push off from the roof. It would be a matter of seconds. That's all he had to come up with some way of helping her. "Think Merlin, think."

That's when a memory came to him.

* * *

"_You should have seen his face when he realised it was me and not you, Merlin. Priceless. _ _He looked mad enough that he would try to kill me if I came near him again. I have to say though, that man can make some amazing sounds when you do certain things to him, I can see why you like him." Cedric said as he began to eat his breakfast._

"_I'm going to be so powerful after this. Imagine all that power that's stored in those gems. They've been there for hundreds of years, holding numerous sorcerers powers that are waiting for a new owner."_

"_You will have their power forever Master?" Merlin asked from where he stood._

"_Sadly no," Cedric paused as he took a sip from his drink and looked over at his slave. "Because I'm taking someone else's power, once I've used it, it's gone. However, that amount of power, it'll take decades for me to use it all. Especially if I get you to do all the major spells for me."_

"_So depending on the spell, you could lose it all?"_

"_Lose it all? What kind of spell do you think I'll be casting?" Cedric chuckled as he took a bite out of his apple. "It would take a huge spell to lose all that power, I mean, what kind of idiot would cast a spell big enough to lose it all? Especially after all it took to get it. Nope, not me. Once I have that power, I'm never letting it go, no matter what happens. If anything ever attacks me, you can protect me, alright? After all, a shield is one of the toughest spells to cast and you have enough power to protect at least me."_

* * *

Merlin's feet came to a stop and everything went still. He knew what he had to do. As he looked down at his hands, he felt the power rise within him, the power that was not his own. It was enough to protect the kingdom against the dragon, a spell so great that never again would the Kingdom have to fear that anything would attack, they'd have a permanent shield around them. All it would take was one spell. Then everyone would be safe.

A smile came to his lips as he turned on the spot and looked up at the dragon. It must have sensed Merlin had a plan as it picked up speed to now take down Merlin rather than the girl. Great. Let it attack Merlin, it would give him the perfect target to aim the shield at.

Lifting the hand that already had magic swirling around it, he took a deep breath and let his entire body overflow with the power within. "**Belúcan se cynebotl íc clipung mín eardlufu,**" the spell left his lips smoothly and the dragon let out a roar as a blast of air hit it's entire body and Merlin had to stop from wincing as it's teeth snapped inches from his face.

"You cannot do this! I will have my revenge," it roared at him and Merlin enforced the spell so that the dragon was pushed further into the air by the invisible shield. "You dare attack me after what I did for you?" Merlin didn't speak as he kept the spell going, something liquid came against his lips and he didn't have to taste it to know it was blood. He was pushing his body too hard. The magic he was using was no longer the power he'd taken, but his own.

"Camelot …" Merlin began to say as the dragon was pushed further away. "Is …" why was he finding it so hard to speak? "Protected."

The dragon made the loudest sound Merlin had ever heard and the buildings around him shook as the shield stopped expanding. Every part of the Kingdom was now protected from any creature that meant it harm and as the dragon attempted to break through it, Merlin couldn't help but smile. He'd done it. Camelot was safe. _Arthur _was safe.

"Emrys?" Freya's voice broke his thoughts and he saw her in the corner of his eye as she approached him, her small hand grasping his top as she looked at the beast attacking the sky. "Are we safe?"

"Yes … we're safe." He ruffled her hair and took a step forward, his feet feeling heavy as he kept going.

"Where are you going?" Freya yelled.

"Home."

* * *

Arthur gazed up in amazement as he watched the dragon striking something he couldn't see. He'd managed to get away from the men who'd attempted to restrain him and had ran out into the courtyard in hopes of finding Merlin. Instead he was met with this. No matter how much the dragon tried, it couldn't do any damage, even when it blew fire, the fire just came straight back.

It was magic. It had to be. Which meant Merlin had done something to make sure the dragon couldn't get in and now had disappeared like he usually did.

"Sire, we found this little girl standing on the bridge, do you know if her parents were at the party?" Leon's said and Arthur saw him holding Freya in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked and knelt down as Leon set her on the floor.

"I saw the dragon coming and came to warn Daddy. Emrys protected me though. He defeated the dragon!" Freya exclaimed and Arthur watched as her smile disappeared. "He went home though."

"Home?"

"Yeah. He said something funny and then walked off saying he was going home. He didn't look well. I hope someone is there to take care of him," Freya's attention was then gone as she spotted her Dad emerging from the castle. Arthur on the other hand now knew exactly where Merlin was and nothing on earth could stop him going to find him.

"I'll be back," Arthur told Leon and brushed past him as he ran across the courtyard. If Merlin was going home, it meant that something was wrong, especially since he'd told Freya. Merlin wasn't stupid, if he was okay and didn't want to be found, he'd disappear. Which meant that he was either dying or no longer cared what happened to him.

As Arthur ran down the streets of Camelot, he recalled the nights he'd spent doing the exact same thing, trying to find the thief who had caused him sleepless nights for years. Now the very same person kept him up every night for other reasons. Since every time Arthur closed his eyes, Merlin would be there, smiling at him, laughing with him, making him feel like a real person rather than the man he was born to be. The King.

Only when he reached the small alley did he slow down, making sure to avoid the points that set off the alarms, no point scaring Merlin away when he was so close. As his hand pushed back the drape that covered the arch, his heart stopped dead in his chest as his eyes fell upon Merlin's body lying in the middle of the room, his chest not even moving.

"Merlin!" Dropping to his knees once at his side, he pulled the boy's head onto his lap and tapped his cheek. "Hey, wake up! Come on. Don't die, not after everything we've been through." Brushing the hair from Merlin's forehead, he waited to see those two blue eyes that made butterflies in his stomach, to see that smile that told him everything would be okay. Any sign that he was alive. "You don't like taking orders, fine! I order you to die Merlin Emrys. As your King, I am telling you to give up, forget about me and let that dragon win."

What felt like a lifetime passed as Arthur looked down at him. Merlin didn't move. It seemed that after everything, he had reached his limit. He no longer had the energy in him to fight to live, couldn't stand hiding in the shadows anymore and was taking the easy way out. Without him.

As the thought of never seeing Merlin hit him, he lifted his body into his arms and held him tightly. Burying his head in Merlin's neck, he knew the tears would be running down his face, that his entire body would be shaking as the grief overwhelmed him. At least before, when Merlin had left, he'd known that there was a chance that one day they'd meet again. That if he really got into trouble, Merlin would turn up. To think that he'd never be able to hold him again was the worst part. He'd never gotten a chance to tell Merlin he loved him.

"I told you-" a voice whispered in his ear and Arthur froze "-I don't take orders from anyone."

Pulling away from Merlin, he looked down to see the thief staring up at him in amusement, the life coming back into his body before his very eyes. "I thought you were dead."

"Can't get rid of me that easy," he replied and smiled.

"You idiot!" Arthur threw him against the ground and watched as Merlin rubbed his head from the impact, "I thought you were dead! That I was never going to see you again! You keep doing these stupid things that will get yourself killed and you never think that it'll affect me. You think it was easy not to come looking for you? I needed you so much these past few weeks, I'm King and I've never felt so alone. For you to then get yourself almost killed, to pretend that it's funny, to make jokes, you have to be an idiot! A stupid, idiotic, pathetic, annoying, stubborn-"

Merlin silenced him with a soft kiss to his lips and Arthur felt his anger slowly die down as Merlin's hands gently caressed his cheeks. "I love you Arthur Pendragon, nothing in this world could keep me away from you, not even death." The words he had wanted to hear for so long, that he'd dreamt of Merlin whispering to him as they lay in bed together, were now being said and Arthur smiled against Merlin's lips.

"I love you too," Arthur whispered.

"I know," Merlin teased and smiled at him in his own goofy way. "You've loved me since the first night you chased me. You just didn't know it." Arthur felt his body heat up as Merlin moved to straddle his waist, his hands still cupping Arthur's face as he stared down at the King, never had he looked so happy than he did at that moment. "I'm afraid I don't have the strength to leave you again. I guess you're stuck with me."

Arthur lifted his head so that his lips brushed against Merlin's and he held him tightly around the waist. "You're not going anywhere," he said quietly so that only Merlin could hear him speak. "You stole my heart, Merlin Emrys, and I don't plan on ever getting it back."

**

* * *

The End**


End file.
